Many English proverbs originated from French.[17] William, Duke of Normandy, France, landed his mighty army at Pevensy and defeated Saxon king Harold’s men near Hastings. William was crowned as king of England, and then he opened doors to the continent and extended culture and commercial relations with France. Norman-France culture, language and architecture were introduced. The conquerors ruled England in a long period of time, and most of the governors used French as their formal language. Although England finally won her sovereignty, there were still many borrowed words from France remained. Especially, English people accepted many French sayings. For example, Don’t put the cart before the horse; Venture a small fish to catch a great one; If the lion’s skin cannot, the fox’s shall.
Many English proverbs came from Latin.[18] Because of the introduction of Christianity into Britain, the influence of the Norman Conquest and the Renaissance on English, Latin words had made their way into the English language. Among these Latin words there also included many proverbs, which gained wide acceptance of English people. Such as: Fortune favors the brave; He who says what he likes, shall hear what he does not like; I fear the Greeks, even when bringing gifts; There is no rule without an exception and so on.
2.6 Originating from famous writers’ wisdom
Famous writers provided one of the richest sources for English proverbs, which is only next to the proverbs of folk origin. We also can say that most proverbs, regardless of their initial, have been polished and preserved and popularized by famous writers in their works. It is generally agreed that such famous writers as Bacon, Pope, Franklin and so on contributed quite a lot to the creation, preservation and popularization of English proverbs.
Bacon is a distinguished English philosopher and writer. He is noted for a style of thorough exposition and alternative maxims. Many sentences in Bacon’s works have become golden saying and prevailed among people. For example, Reading makes a full man tells people that only by reading can a person become learned and profound. Another proverb Knowledge is power emphasizes the importance of knowledge and encourages people to study more and learn more.
Pope is another celebrated figure in English literature. He emphasizes education and knowledge very much. Some sentences from his works have been accepted by the readers and become deeply rooted among people. Take A little learning is a dangerous thing for example. This didactic proverb is a sentence in Pope An Essay on Criticism and it reflects his ideas about knowledge and learning.
Benjamin Franklin is a famous American statesman, scientist and writer. Many sayings from his works were widely accepted and enlighten people. For example, Little stroke fell great oaks.[19] It tells us that one never giving up pursuing knowledge, because only those who are strong-minded can be highly intellectual. Another example, God help them that help themselves.[20] It tends to tell us that so long as one values self-reliance and independence, he can create opportunities, seek competition and be ready for the risks.
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