About
The character "谚" (yàn), whose traditional form is "諺", is structured as a semantic-phonetic compound, combining the semantic component 言 (yán), meaning speech or words, with 昗, an old variant of 彥 (yàn), which serves primarily to indicate pronunciation but also carries connotations of refinement and cultured expression. This construction etymologically points to a specific type of spoken language: durable, polished sayings that are circulated and preserved within a community. Over centuries, its meaning crystallized from this general notion of refined, transmitted speech to refer specifically to proverbs or popular adages, which are concise phrases expressing common wisdom or observations about life, nature, or human behavior. Thus, the character’s evolution reflects a process of semantic narrowing, where its original broader sense became focused on a definitive category of traditional, experiential knowledge encoded in fixed, memorable phrases.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这是一句中国谚语。
谚语通常很有智慧。
我收集了很多民间谚语。
这句谚语告诉我们诚实重要。
老师用谚语解释这个道理。
从古谚中我们可以学习历史。
尽管时代变迁，许多谚语依然适用。
通过分析谚语的隐喻，我们能深入理解文化。