Internet Archive Book: En Boca Cerrada y Otros Refranes

Here's a fun children's book of Spanish proverbs: En Boca Cerrada y Otros Refranes by Juan Palomar De Miguel.

You will find 20 proverbs here, with wonderful illustrations by Cecilia Rébora. Here's an equivalent of the English saying about a bird in the hand: including the cat in the picture is such a cute detail!

So, enjoy: the text is in Spanish only, but the illustrations can help Spanish-language-learners guess at some of the meaning.

En Boca Cerrada
y Otros Refranes
by Juan Palomar De Miguel

Internet Archive Book: Orígen y Significación de Algunas Frases

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Internet Archive Book: Cosecha de Versos y Refranes

This lovely little children's book contains both poetry and proverbs: Cosecha de Versos y Refranes by Luis de la Peña.

The beautiful illustrations by Blanca Dorantes are a big part of the appeal, as you can see:

The book is in Spanish only, and it will be a fun read for any Spanish speakers, young or old.

Cosecha de Versos y Refranes
by Luis de la Peña

Internet Archive Book: Refranes Usados en Puerto Rico

Here is a book of proverbs focused on Puerto Rico: Refranes Usados en Puerto Rico by María Elisa Díaz Rivera.

The book is organized alphabetically by themes, with a detailed bibliography in the back of the book. Each proverb appears in Spanish with a brief commentary in Spanish; this book is in Spanish only. 

Especially with the bibliography for further exploration, this book will be very useful to Spanish readers.

Refranes Usados en Puerto Rico
by María Elisa Díaz Rivera

Internet Archive Book: 101 Spanish Proverbs

Here is a book for Spanish language-learners: 101 Spanish Proverbs: Understanding Spanish Language and Culture through Common Sayings by Eduardo Aparicio.

The book is organized by themes into 7 sections: Good Advice, Young and Old, etc. Each proverb has the Spanish version, a literal English translation, along with an equivalent English saying. There is a cartoon for each proverb (the illustrations are by Luc Nisset-Raidon), plus a dialogue illustrating the proverb's use in actual speech. The dialogues are not translated on the proverb page, but there are translations int the back of the book.

The dialogues are a really nice feature of this book; that's not something I've seen in other books of proverbs for language learners, but now I will be on the lookout to see if I can find more.

101 Spanish Proverbs:

Understanding Spanish Language and Culture

through Common Sayings

by Eduardo Aparicio

Latin Recipe: Fiat lux.

Fiat lux.

This famous Latin phrase appears in the Book of Genesis in the Bible: "Let there be light."

Dictionary:

fiat. from fio, fieri: to be, become, come into being.

lux. from lux, lucis: light.

An easy variation:

Change the noun.

Grammar:

fiat. present active subjunctive.

lux. nominative singular.

Some more easy variations:

Change the word order.

Modify the verb with an adverb.

Add a dative pronoun or phrase.

Add a prepositional phrase.

Modify the noun with an adjective.

Expand the noun into a noun phrase (lux+genitive).

Add an ablative absolute.

Add a parallel subject (with verb implied, not repeated).

See if you can identify the types of variations below, and then you can try making your own variations. The verbs are marked in bold to help you notice the changes in word order. Extra words beyond the original noun+verb are underlined.

1. Fiat iustitia.
2. Fiat pax.
3. Victoria fiat.
4. Concordia fiat.
5. Fiat lux aeterna.
6. Lux fiat aeterna.
7. Fiat Dei lux.
8. Lux Dei fiat.
9. Lux fiat Dei.
10. Lux fiat semper.
11. Nobis fiat lux.
12. Fiat omnibus lux.
13. Fiat victoria nobis.
14. Fiat lux iustitiae.
15. Iustitiae fiat lux.
16. Fiat ubique lux.
17. Pax semper fiat.
18. Fiat lux in tenebris.
19. In tenebris fiat lux.
20. Tenebris repulsis, fiat lux.
21. Fiat lux Dei aeterna.
22. Dei lux fiat aeterna.
23. Mihi bona fiat fortuna.
24. Bona mihi fiat fortuna.
25. Fiat in terris pax.
26. Fiat in terris omnibus pax.
27. Fiat omnibus in terris pax.
28. Fiat lux in mente.
29. In mente fiat lux, et amor in corde.
30. Fiat lux in mente, et in verbis sapientia.

Latin Recipe: Abest timor.

Abest timor.

This motto, cited in Mair's Proverbs and Family Mottoes, is associated with the Ewart and the Ker families. Literal English translation: "Absent is fear." A more poetic English translation might be: "No fear here." The image shows the Buddha making a gesture called "abhaya-mudra" or the "no-fear-gesture" (Wikipedia).

Dictionary:

abest. from absum, abesse: to be absent, to be away.

timor. from timor, timoris: fear.

An easy variation:

Change the noun.

Grammar:

abest. present indicative.

timor. nominative singular.

Some easy variations:

Change verb tense or mood.

Change noun (and verb) to plural.

Some more easy variations:

Change the word order.

Modify the verb with an adverb.

Add a dative pronoun.

Modify the noun with an adjective.

Expand the noun into a noun phrase (timor+genitive).

See if you can identify the types of variations below, and then you can try making your own variations. The verbs are marked in bold to help you notice the changes in word order. Extra words beyond the original noun+verb are underlined.

1. Abest dubium.
2. Abest ira.
3. Furor abest.
4. Abest metus.
5. Timores absunt.
6. Timor abeat.
7. Deest timor.
8. Absit timor.
9. Timor desit.
10. Timor abesto.
11. Absunt lacrimae.
12. Dolores absunt.
13. Timor vanus abest.
14. Fera abest ira.
15. Timores omnes absunt.
16. Timor absit nobis.
17. Abest mihi superbia.
18. Absit timor indignus.
19. Odium deest omne.
20. Furor foedus abesto.
21. Timor ullus abest.
22. Abest omnis timor.
23. Aberit semper timor.
24. Desit tibi timor.
25. Timores absunt omnes.
26. Timor mortis absit.
27. Nunc abest timor omnis.
28. Inimicorum meorum timor aberit.
    
29. Timor mihi et meis abest.
30. Linguae latinae mihi absit timor.

Internet Archive Book: Proverbs and Family Mottoes

Mottoes are a special variety of proverbs, and this book provides a good introduction to traditional family mottoes along with some other proverb collections: Proverbs and Family Mottoes with the Names of the Families by Whom They Are Adopted by James Allan Mair.

The English proverbs (both British and American, and also including Scottish and Irish) start on p. 21, proverbs from Shakespeare on p. 82, and proverbs from the Bible on p. 100. The family mottoes then begin on p. 106, and the mottoes use a variety of languages, including English, French, and Latin, with English translations for the mottoes that are not in English.

Maybe you will find your own family in the pages of this book!

Proverbs and Family Mottoes
with the Names of the Families
by Whom They Are Adopted
by James Allan Mair

Internet Archive Book: Spanish Grammar and Culture through Proverbs

Here's a great Spanish-language learning resource: Spanish Grammar and Culture through Proverbs by Richard D. Woods.

This is a wonderful collection of Spanish proverbs organized based on their grammatical features. Because this is a book for the study of Spanish, no English translations are provided. Here's a screenshot; this section features the imperfect verb, followed by infinitives, etc. It's a bit odd, but the grammatical categories are organized alphabetically in English, starting with adjectives, then adverbs, articles, conjunctions, future tense verbs, and so on.

For Spanish-language learners, it's a fantastic resource!

Spanish Grammar and Culture
through Proverbs
by Richard D. Woods

Internet Archive Book: Proverbs, Sayings, Saws, Adages: English and Spanish

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Internet Archive Book: Southwestern Spanish Proverbs

This is a marvelous collection of Spanish proverbs from the southwestern United States: Southwestern Spanish Proverbs ~ Refranes Españoles del Sudoeste by Rubén Cobos.

The book contains 1697 proverbs organized alphabetically, with an English translation for each proverb, and also a bit of commentary.

Cobos was an important folklorist who studied the traditions of Spanish New Mexico; you can find out more about his work here: The Cobos Collection. He is also the author of A Dictionary of New Mexico and Southern Colorado Spanish.

Cobos also published a wonderful bilingual collection of folktales too, Cuentos from My Childhood; Legends and Folktales of Northern New Mexico, and hopefully that will show up someday at the Internet Archive too. Meanwhile, you have plenty of proverbs to enjoy right now.

Southwestern Spanish Proverbs

Refranes Españoles del Sudoeste

by Rubén Cobos

Internet Archive Book: Dichos: Proverbs and Sayings From the Spanish

Here's a nice little book of Spanish proverbs: Dichos: Proverbs and Sayings From the Spanish by Charles Aranda.

Although this is a short book, it contains many proverbs, plus some riddles too. Each proverb appears in Spanish with an English translation, and sometimes with a bit of commentary.

It's a nice way to get started with Spanish proverbs!

Dichos:
Proverbs and Sayings From the Spanish
by Charles Aranda

Internet Archive Book: English Proverbs, with Origins and Explanations

Here's a very user-friendly book of English proverbs: A Book of English Proverbs, with Origins and Explanations by Vere Collins.

This book contains 456 proverbs, each with a brief paragraph by way of explanation. This is not a scholarly reference book; instead, it offers commentary for a general audience, explaining something about the meaning about the proverb and its history in English.

If you find a proverb you want to know even more about, you can turn to a more complete reference book, like the Oxford Dictionary of English Proverbs.

A Book of English Proverbs,

with Origins and Explanations

by Vere Collins

Internet Archive Book: Oxford Dictionary of English Proverbs

Oxford University Press has published many proverb reference books; this one was published in 1948 (a revision of the 1935 edition): Oxford Dictionary of English Proverbs by William George Smith and revised by Paul Harvey.

There is a detailed introduction by Janet Heseltine which includes valuable information about earlier proverb collections in English.

The book is over 700 pages long, in double columns, with the proverbs reported in multiple variations:

The book provides cross-references, but of course having the Internet Archive version which you can search is even more effective than relying on cross-references. So, for example, if you are interested in proverbs about oaks, here they are:

With the power of search, the Internet Archive version of this book can be even more useful than the printed version you have on your shelf!

Oxford Dictionary of English Proverbs

by William George Smith

(and revised by Paul Harvey)

Internet Archive Book: Even Monkeys Fall From Trees

Here is a fun collection of 100 Japanese proverbs: "Even Monkeys Fall From Trees" and Other Japanese Proverbs by David Galef.

There's also a foreword by Edward G. Seidensticker, a 20th-century scholar of Japanese literature.

Each of the 100 Japanese proverbs is presented in Japanese (including a romanized version also), plus an English translation and an illustration. The illustrations are by Jun Hashimoto; you can see how the proverbs are presented here: "You can't get clams from a field."

There's also an appendix with parallel English proverbs (as opposed to the literal translation that appears earlier), which can provide some different kinds of insight into the Japanese proverb.

"Even Monkeys Fall From Trees"

and Other Japanese Proverbs

by David Galef

Internet Archive Book: Amish Proverbs

Here's a book of English proverbs from a traditional American community: Amish Proverbs: Words of Wisdom From the Simple Life by Suzanne Woods Fisher.

The book is organized thematically, and the introduction provides an overview of Pennsylvania Dutch culture in America, and of the Amish in particular, but the proverbs are given here in English only (not in Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch). 

Some of the proverbs is accompanied by a story of Amish life and/or a commentary on the meaning of the proverb, while other proverbs stand alone.

You'll see familiar proverbs here, along with new turns of phrase too, like hearing the flap of the devil's wings!

Amish Proverbs:

Words of Wisdom From the Simple Life

by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Internet Archive Book: African-American Wisdom

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Internet Archive Book: American Proverbs, 1820-1880

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Internet Archive Book: Where There's Smoke, There's Salmon

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Internet Archive Book: Tiger, Frogs, and Rice Cakes

Here is a beautiful book of illustrated proverbs for children: Tiger, Frogs, and Rice Cakes: A Book of Korean Proverbs by Daniel D. Holt.

This is a short book for children; each proverb has its own illustration, and there are 20 proverbs given in both English, Korean, and also in romanized Korean. There is also a commentary in the back of the book. So, for example, the proverb "Licking the outside of a watermelon" is explained as someone who acts with superficial understanding.

The illustrations are by Soma Han Stickler, and some are beautiful two-page spreads like this one: "When there is no tiger, the rabbit becomes king."

So, you can enjoy both the proverbs and the artistry of this book!

Tiger, Frogs, and Rice Cakes:

A Book of Korean Proverbs

by Daniel D. Holt.

Internet Archive Book: 1000 Italian Proverbs

This is a bilingual collection of 1000 Italian proverbs, organized alphabetically by keyword (as usual in this series from Hippocrene): Dictionary of 1000 Italian Proverbs by Peter Mertvago.

For each proverb, there is the Italian version and an English translation, as Mertvago explains in the introduction. There is also an abundant bibliography in the back too!

As in other Hippocrene books, the English version might be a literal translation, but when it is not literal and is instead an equivalent English proverb, italics are used. Mertvago also includes variations on the Italian proverbs, using parentheses to separate the variations. For example: For example, "Chi guarda le nuvole fa poco strada" translated literally would be "He that watches the clouds journeys little."

So, you can use this book to learn some Italian proverbs, and you can use the bibliography to find even more.

Dictionary of 1000 Italian Proverbs

by Peter Mertvago

Internet Archive Book: Scottish Proverbs

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Internet Archive Book: 1000 Polish Proverbs

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Internet Archive Book: 1001 Yiddish Proverbs

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