Table of Context

Introduction 4

Idiom 5

Proverb 7

The difference between idiom and proverb 9

Conclusion 10

Bibliographic References 11
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Introduction

Language is a very important means of communication between human beings.

They are part of the social environment. With language people can interact with one
another to form a social relation in their society. Language is human speech.
Someone can communicate his or her ideas, emotions, beliefs or feelings to
somebody else as they share a common code that makes up the language. There
are many other ways of communication used by humans, for example gestures,
nods, flags, smiles, acting, dancing etc. Language may be performed in spoken,
written as well as in the form of signs. It means that people use words to
communicate with other societies. People always use language either in written and
spoken form to convey messages, desires, human needs.

Based on those data, I would like to talk about idiom and proverb in three languages
differents as english language, portuguese language and emakua language, and
also I am going to show some examples about the topic and find out the differences
and similarities about idiom and proverb.
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Idiom

An idiom is a widely used saying or expression that contains a figurative meaning

that is different from the phrase’s literal meaning. For example, if you say you’re
feeling “under the weather,” you don’t literally mean that you’re standing underneath
the rain. “Under the weather” is an idiom that is universally understood to mean sick
or ill.

Examples of idioms in english:

Here are some common idiom examples:

Idiom: “You can’t judge a book by its cover”

Meaning: Don’t assume you know something based solely on its outward
appearance.

Idiom: “Every cloud has a silver lining.”

Meaning: Good things come as a result of bad things.

Idiom: “Once in a blue moon”

Meaning: Very rarely

Idiom: “Back to the drawing board”

Meaning: Restart a process from the beginning

Idiom: “We'll cross that bridge when we come to it”

Meaning: We’ll worry about that problem when it arises.

Idiom: “A penny saved is a penny earned”

Meaning: It’s just as useful to save money as it is to make money.

Idiom: “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”

Meaning: Don’t rely on something good happening until it has already happened.

Idiom: “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”

Meaning: It’s better to have something that’s small but certain than the possibility of
something greater that may never materialize.

Idiom: “Would you cut me some slack?”

Meaning: Don’t be so hard on me.

Idiom: “He missed the boat.”

Meaning: He missed out on an opportunity.
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Examples of idioms in portuguese:

Idiom: Procurar chifre em cabeça de cavalo

Meaning: Procurar problemas onde não existem

Idiom: “Andar nas nuvens”

Meaning: Be inattentive or distracted.

Idiom: ”Bater na mesma tecla”

Meaning: Insist too much on the same subject.

Idiom: “Banho de gato”

Meaning: Wash superficially the body parts.

Idiom: “Armado até os dentes”

Meaning: Very well prepared.

Idiom: “Descascar o abacaxi”

Meaning: Solve something complicated.

Idiom: “Entregar de bandeja”

Meaning: Deliver.

Idiom: “Mudar da água para o vinho’’

Meaning: Change a lot.

Idiom: Perder a linha

Meaning: Lose politeness.

Idiom: Tempestade em copo d'água

Meaning: Make a mess with something insignificant or small.

Examples of idioms in emakua:

Idiom: “Muako hihikumana massi athu anakuma”

Meaning: We will always need each other.

Idiom: “Nthu notchapela naliala massi notchapelia khanliala”

Meaning: Who is done something does not forget but who practiced forget.

Idiom: “Nthu mrimawe hi khotoawe”

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Meaning: Your biggest war is you.

Idiom: ”Mathuwa okhalai khanrihia”

Meaning: Don’t throw away something that has already helped you for a long time,
you can need it again.

Idiom: “Utipuwa muila”

Meanin: When someone changes his behavior because acquired material goods.

Idiom: “Upuessa nitho”

Meaning: Asking for something that is being sold to pay later.

Proverb

A proverb is a simple and concrete saying, popularly known and repeated, that
expresses a truth based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity.
They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may
also be known as a maxim. Proverbs are often borrowed from similar languages and
cultures, and sometimes come down to the present through more than one
language.

Examples of Proverb in english:

Proverb: “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”

Meaning: Don’t criticize others for something you also do.

Proverb: “The poor carpenter blames his tools.”

Meaning: Take ownership of your mistakes instead of finding blame elsewhere.

Proverb: “When you want to make an omelet, you need to break a few eggs.”
Meaning: Reaching a goal requires sacrifice.

Proverb: “A roaring lion kills nothing.”

Meaning: You won’t accomplish your goals by talking about them.

Proverb: “Only a fool tests the depth of a river with both feet.”
Meaning: Consider the consequences before making a decision.

Proverb: “The best way to eat an elephant is to cut him up into pieces.”
Meaning: Solve a problem by handling it a little at a time.

Examples of Proverb in portuguese:

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Proverb: “Cavalo dado não se olha nos dentes .”

Meaning: This proverb means that we should not criticize a gift or something that is
given to us, even if it is not to our liking. The idea here is always to be grateful rather
than critical.

Proverb: “Quem com ferro fere, com ferro será ferido.”

Meaning: This proverb is used to indicate that the bad deeds we perform will come
back to us in the same way.

Proverb: “Quem semeia vento, colhe tempestade.”

Meaning: This proverb means that all bad actions will have bad consequences in our
lives. Of biblical origin (Hosea 8:7), it is related to another popular expression that is
often used, which is “Colhemos o que plantamos”.

Proverb: “Não há mal que sempre dure, nem bem que nunca se acabe.”
Meaning: This proverb means that we must accept life as it is. That is, nothing in life
is permanent, whether happiness or unhappiness. Throughout the journey, we will
have good days and bad days, and both are essential for us to learn to deal with
different situations.

Proverb: “Santo de casa não faz milagre.

Meaning: We use this proverb when we show that we don't trust someone who is
from the place where we live. So we look for someone from the outside to resolve
the issue rather than relying on those closest to us.

Examples of Proverb in emakua:

Proverb: “Muako hihikumana massi athu anakuma”

Meaning: We will always need each other.

Proverb: “Nthu notchapela naliala massi notchapelia khanliala”

Meaning: Who is done something does not forget but who practiced forget.

Proverb: “Nthu mrimawe hi khotoawe”

Meaning: Your biggest war is you.

Proverb: ”Mathuwa okhalai khanrihia”

Meaning: Don’t throw away something that has already helped you for a long time,
you can need it again.

Proverb: “Nhithele nhinetakatcha”

Meaning: Do not make a decision before analyzing.
The difference between idiom and proverb
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Idioms and proverbs are two terms used in the English language that show
differences between them when it comes to usage and purpose. A idiom is a
figurative expression used when writing or speaking, and is formed by combining a
verb and a preposition. On the other hand, a proverb is a saying that influences the
ways of the world. This is the basic difference between idioms and proverbs. If we
look at the use of proverbs and idioms, expressions are mostly used to express an
idea or what has happened or is happening, while proverbs are used to give advice.
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Conclusion

At the end of this work, I concluded that an idiom is a widely used saying or
expression that contain a figurative meaning different from the literal meaning of the
sentence and proverb is also a saying but it is simple, concrete and expresses a
truth based on common sense or human experience and also proverbs ar often
metaphorical.
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Bibliographic References

“Idiom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/idiom. Accessed 10 May. 2022.

Idiom Examples: Common Expressions and Their Meanings

https://examples.yourdictionary.com/idiom.html

“Proverb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster,

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proverb. Accessed 10 May. 2022.

p. 49, Jennifer Speake. 2008. The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs, 5th ed. Oxford
University Press.