The Uncommon Characteristic in the Proverbs Definition: Its Discovery by Adhya:ro:pam (Superimposition) in Conversational Exchanges Chilukuri Bhuvaneswar, The

Proverbial Linguistic Group, Hyderabad Before writing was developed, proverbs were stored in cultural memory and recalled by individuals for their use in a context. After writing was developed, they are stored by recording them in books, etc. for reference and used. Whatever be the case, the test for their veracity is in their use since books reflect what is in use. Therefore, real life discourse should be the basis for all proverbiology and it should be complemented by recorded proverbs and their usage. Consequently, real life conversation should be taken into consideration and the unconsciously evolved essential properties have to be negatively identified scientifically by apava:dam (sublation); in addition, they have to be positively recognized by statistical methods and superimposed on the concerned text in use to find out the uncommon characteristic. This is the reverse process of apava:dam: in apava:dam, the secondary and essential properties are identified and negated to find out the uncommon characteristic; in adhya:ro:pam (superimposition), the essential properties are discovered and asserted to find out the uncommon characteristic; and it is confirmed by apava:dam. By an examination of all the proverbs in use, we find that there is a common frozen content of the proverb in use which is recorded in books as its citation form. This form excludes the proverb initiators and linkers as well as idiosyncratic modifications of the citation form. Hence, proverbs are frozen texts. In a similar way, all these frozen texts are culturally confirmed to be so by the speech community that uses these proverbs, be it the standard ones or their regional or dialectal variations. Unfortunately, owing to lack of awareness of speech functions and sociolinguistic functions, the illocutionary function of proverbs from the speech act theory and the pro-cat instantiation function have escaped the attention of proverbiologists, until Bhuvaneswar (1999, 2003) discovered them as essential characteristics. This discovery has paved the way for a foolproof definition of the proverb. These characteristics are not the sole prerogative of proverbs alone. Hence, each property by itself cannot define the proverb. As a result, a mixed characteristic has to be worked out that excludes all other genres and distinguishes the proverb from others. This is obtained by combining all these properties into a single characteristic that gives us its uncommon characteristic which is used to define the proverb earlier. The following examples are taken from real life conversations and the use of the proverb is analyzed. The proverb occurs in P1 (proverb alone), P2 (proverb embedded in an utterance), and P3 (proverb preceding or following an utterance in a turn) forms in its basic varieties of discourse structure and functions as an illocution performing pro-cat instantiation. In addition, we discover it as a

culturally confirmed (and) frozen text from folk wisdom and printed books nowadays some proverbs are used by modifying them and so they are taken as idiosyncratic modifications or errors but not standard variations. Therefore, these four properties are superimposed on a text in question and the uncommon characteristic is discovered by PIT. Only a few examples are given owing to constraints of space. 1. P1 Proverb: [A (Me) and B (Robin Fawcett) were going on a sightseeing trip in Hyderabad in 1999. B, a famous linguist, knows that I am doing research on proverbs. We hired an auto to the famous Golconda Fort but missed the way and passed through Kutub Shahi Tombs, another historical sight. When we reached the Tombs, the following conversation occurred.] (1) A (Me): It is good that we have come this way. B (Robin Fawcett): Every cloud has a silver lining. A: Oh, you used a proverb! B: Because of you I have used it for you. In the above real life conversation, the text in question occurs in the second turn of the exchange: it is the sentence Every cloud has a silver lining. A culturally informed speaker immediately recollects and recognizes the proverb in its fixed form, and in his doing so, we find that it is a frozen text since it is fixed and recalled in the cultural memory as such. That it is a culturally confirmed frozen text is also confirmed by the empirical evidence of the folk knowledge of its usage in the daily life of the English speaking people and its occurrence as a recorded proverb (text) in books of proverbs. In this real exchange, it is further proved to be so. Again, when we observe its usage, we find that it is an assertive speech act (illocution) used as a follow up move to support the assertion made by A. The statement made by A expresses a natural event cognized as a prototypical practice for unhappy situations which turn out to have an advantage: going to Kutub Shahi Tombs is not in the plan which is a waste of time and money and so an embarrassing mistake. Therefore, it is one example (category) of such a mistake. However, since B is on a sightseeing trip and Kutub Shahi Tombs are an important tourist attraction, going that way brought an advantage. By the use of the proverb, it is confirmed that there is an advantage in such mistakes by virtue of its cultural authorization. In other words, the proverb serves as a prototype to instantiate a category of such practice: pro-cat instantiation. Furthermore, as A makes an attempt to save his face, B indirectly saves Bs face by supporting his view. On the same text, all these four characteristics are superimposed as a mixed characteristic. In other words, that text on which this mixed characteristic is superimposed becomes a proverb. Here is another self-explanatory example in Telugu. It took place in a hotel in Antarvedi, Andhra Pradesh, India on 10.2.2000. The owner kept the eggs in a

drawer instead of keeping them on a table. C uses the proverb as a prototype to categorize the social practice mentioned by B. (2) A: ko:DuguDluku:Da: dra:yerlo: peTTaru? eggs too drawer in put sir You put even the eggs in a drawer B: bayaTeDite: okkakkaTe: ti:suku tinettunna:ru. DabbulivvaTam le:du. putting outside, one by one taking are eating money giving not If put outside, taking one by one, they are eating. Not giving money. C: u:rike: vatte: mi:sa:luku:Da: ti:suku tine:tta:ru. [Telugu Proverb] If got free, they will take even moustache and eat. 2. P2 Proverb As mother B was searching for her rosaries in the house and could not locate them. B found them around the neck of Lord Krishnas Idol. The following conversation took place in that context. The proverb: ujja:llo: pillaNNeTTukoni u:ranta vetikindani is embedded as an apposite clause in a sentence. It is a culturally confirmed frozen text and instantiates the categorial practice of searching the entire house by keeping the rosaries on Lord Krishnas neck in front of her through this prototypical practice as an illocution (assertive speech act) in (3) A: KrishNuDi meLLo: unnaji ni: dzapama:lalu. Krishna of neck in are your rosaries Your rosaries are around Krishnas (the idols) neck. B: illa: undi na: batuku. like this is my life My life is like this. ujja:llo: pillaNNeTTukoni u:ranta vetikindani cradle in child keeping town all searched that edurugunDa: peTTukuni illanta: vetukutunna:nu. in front keeping house all searching I am Keeping (the rosaries) in front, I am searching the entire house, like (that of) keeping the child in the cradle, (and) searching the entire town. 3a. P3 Proverb (Following Utterances) In the following example (4), the proverb comes after two sentences in Bs turn. It is again a culturally confirmed frozen prototypical text instantiating the categorial practice of the idol looking ugly if not decorated and looking beautiful if decorated. This conversation took place between A and B after A visited the Ka:Li Temple near the Godavari River Bank, Narsapur, Andhra Pradesh, India and came back home. The temple was not funded well and the priest could not decorate the Image of Ka:Li with flowers regularly. (4) A: puvvulu ti:se:ste: vigraham bo:siga: vundi.

flowers removing idol bald is By removing the flowers, the idol looks bald. B: mari vunDadu. manishe:na: ante:, alankaraNa ti:se:ste:. indeed will it not be man even like that decoration removing Indeed, wont it be. Even a man is like that, if decoration is removed. anni: peDite: Bommakka; anni: ti:ste: Timmakka. all putting Doll-Sister (Beautiful); all removing Timma-sister (Ugly) Fully decorated, it is a Doll (-Sister); (if) stripped of decoration, it is a Timma- Sister (a country wench who is ugly or unkempt). 3b. P3 Proverb (Preceding Utterances) In the following example which took place in the domain of office, Collector Office, Narsapur, the proverb is repeated and the repeated proverb precedes an utterance which is a sentence. A always takes the stamp of B and does not give it back without being asked. Previously he borrowed the stamp from the superintendent who chided him for not having a stamp. Later on when he wanted to borrow the stamp from B, she chided him before lending her stamp. (5) A: stampo:sa:ri ivvanDi. stamp once give madam B: ne:nivvanu. inda:ka e:vannav. stamp na:de: annav. I give not. previously what did you say? stamp mine you said I wont give. What did you say, earlier? You said, The stamp is mine. A: alla anle:du. su:perentendga:ridanna:nu. like that not said. superintendents I said I did not say like that. I said that it belongs to the superintendent. B: stamp che:yista:nannavu. che:yinchale:da:? stamp get it will said you get it done not? You said you will get the stamp done. Have you not got it done? A: daridruDiki e:re:vukeLLina muLLaparuge: poor man to what porthaving gone muLLaparuge: (a type of cheap fish) Whatever port a poor man goes to, (he will get only) a muLLaparuge: . B: e:vannavu? what did you say? What did you say? A: daridruDiki e:re:vukeLLina muLLaparuge:. alla:undi ma: pani. like that is my work. Whatever port a poor man goes to, (he will get only) a muLLaparuge:. Like that is my work. 3b. P3 Proverb (Coming in between the Utterances as Preceding Utterances) (5) A: nirmala sthalam Nirmalas land. Nirmalas land. B: gaTTiga: ma:Tla:Daku.

hard like talk not Dont talk loudly. A: nirmala sthalam bra:hmalani alla: che:sa:ru. le:kapo:te: Nirmalas land Brahmans that like did they otherwise reddo: ka:po: ayite: Dokka chinchi Do:lu kaDuduru. Reddy Ka:pu if be belly tearing drum make will That Nirmalas land (belongs to) Brahmans, they did it like that. Otherwise, if it is a Reddy or a Ka:pu, they will tear the belly and make a drum [Brahmans (the uppermost caste in Hinduism) are not vocal and strong whereas Reddys or Ka:pu:s (two other socially strong casts; tear the belly and make a drum means deal very harshly) B: poni: leddu. chacchna:Diki vacchinde: kaTnamani, go let it. a dead man to whatever comes (is) dowry that entoste: ante:. adi vadilipo:yindi cha:lu. whatever comes that (is enough) that leaving gone enough. It doesnt matter. Like whatever comes to a dead man is his dowry whatever is obtained is enough. It is good that it (the land) is disposed. References
Bhuvaneswar, Chilukuri [1999b]. The English Proverb in I/E Exchange: A Multilayered Systemic Analysis. A Paper Presented at the First International Congress On English Grammar. Hyderabad: CIEFL ________ [2003]. The Proverb and Its Definition: A Karmik Linguistic Approach. 30 International Systemic Functional Linguistics Congress. Lucknow: CIE