PRAGMATIC FUNCTIONS OF PROVERBIAL UNITS IN DISCOURSE
Abstract
This article examines the pragmatic functions of proverbial units in discourse. Proverbs and proverbial expressions are not only fixed linguistic forms that transmit folk wisdom; they are also communicative tools used to advise, warn, persuade, evaluate, criticize, justify, soften disagreement, create solidarity, and organize discourse. From a pragmatic perspective, the meaning of a proverb cannot be fully explained by its literal or dictionary meaning alone. Its actual force depends on speaker intention, context, shared cultural knowledge, interpersonal relations, and the communicative situation. Drawing on paremiology, phraseology, discourse analysis, speech act theory, and intercultural pragmatics, the article classifies the main pragmatic functions of proverbial units and shows how they operate in everyday speech, literary texts, public discourse, education, and cross-cultural communication.
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