A proverb (from Latin: proverbium) is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth,

based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim. If a proverb is distinguished by particularly good phrasing, it may be known as an aphorism. Proverbs are often borrowed from similar languages and cultures, and sometimes come down to the present through more than one language. Both the Bible (including, but not limited to the Book of Proverbs) and medieval Latin (aided by the work of Erasmus) have played a considerable role in distributing proverbs across Europe, although almost every culture has examples of its own.

Examples African proverbs

A tree is known by its fruit (of Zulu origin - this means that success is shown by the deeds.) I have been bitten by a tsetse fly (of Tanzanian origin this means that a person will continuously be a pest until you pay off a debt.) The word of friend makes you cry the word of an enemy makes you laugh (of Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger this means that a friend will tell you the truth and sometimes the truth hurts, whereas an enemy will only lead you down the wrong path by giving you advice that seems good but is not.)
Asian proverbs

The old horse in the stable still yearns to run (this means that those who are older still have things they would like to accomplish.) A spark can start a fire that burns the entire prairie (this means that a small problem can snowball into a huge problem that can cause major damage.)

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime (this means that teaching people is better in the long run because it gives them the skills to provide for themselves as opposed to you doing things for them.)
American proverbs

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder (this means that when you separate from someone that you love by putting distance between you that you will inevitably love them more and yearn to see them.) "All that glitters is not gold (this means that just because something looks good, does not necessarily mean that it is good.) "A monkey in silk is a monkey no less (this means that just because someone dresses fancy does not necessarily mean that they are fancy or of good character.)
English proverbs

Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. Its no use locking the stable door after the horse has bolted. Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone. See a pin and pick it up, all the day youll have good luck; see a pin and let it lie, bad luck youll have all day. Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. Mondays child is fair of face/Tuesdays child is full of grace,/Wednesdays child is full of woe,/Thursdays child has far to go,/Fridays child is loving and giving,/Saturdays child works hard for its living/And a child thats born on the Sabbath day/Is fair and wise and good and gay.

Meanings:

*Axiom - An axiom is a premise or starting point of reasoning. As classically

conceived, an axiom is a premise so evident as to be accepted as true without controversy.[1] The word comes from the Greek 'that which is thought worthy or fit,' or 'that which commends itself as evident.'[2][3] As used in modern logic, an axiom is simply a premise or starting point for reasoning,[4] and equivalent to what Aristotle calls a definition.[5] Axioms define and delimit the realm of analysis. In other words, an axiom is a logical statement that is assumed to be true. Therefore, its truth is taken for granted within the particular domain of analysis, and serves as a starting point for deducing and inferring other (theory and domain dependent) truths. An axiom is defined as a mathematicalstatement that is accepted as being true without a mathematical proof.[6] In mathematics, the term axiom is used in two related but distinguishable senses: "logical axioms" and "non-logical axioms". In both senses, an axiom is any mathematical statement that serves as a starting point from which other statements are logically derived. Unlike theorems, axioms (unless redundant) cannot be derived by principles of deduction, nor are they demonstrable bymathematical proofs, simply because they are starting points; there is nothing else from which they logically follow (otherwise they would be classified as theorems). Logical axioms are usually statements that are taken to be universally true (e.g., (A and B) implies A), while non-logical axioms (e.g., a + b = b + a) are actually defining properties for the domain of a specific mathematical theory (such as arithmetic). When used in the latter sense, "axiom," "postulate", and "assumption" may be used interchangeably. In general, a non-logical axiom is not a self-evident truth, but rather a formal logical expression used in deduction to build a mathematical theory. To axiomatize a system of knowledge is to show that its claims can be derived from a small, well-understood set of sentences (the axioms). There are typically multiple ways to axiomatize a given mathematical domain.

*Proverb - A proverb (from Latin: proverbium) is a simple and

concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim. If a proverb is distinguished by particularly good phrasing, it may be known as an aphorism.

Proverbs are often borrowed from similar languages and cultures, and sometimes come down to the present through more than one language. Both the Bible (including, but not limited to the Book of Proverbs) and medieval Latin (aided by the work of Erasmus) have played a considerable role in distributing proverbs across Europe, although almost every culture has examples of its own.

*Witticism - : a cleverly witty and often biting or ironic remark

Examples of WITTICISM

1. a collection of famous witticisms 2. <a drama critic who is best remembered for his bitingwitticisms>

*Filipino proverbs
Filipino proverbs[1] or Philippine proverbs[2] are traditional sayings or maxims used by Filipinos based on local culture, wisdom, and philosophies from Filipino life. The word proverbcorresponds to the Tagalog words salawikain,[3][4] kasabihan[3] (saying) and sawikain[4] (although the latter may also refer to mottos or idioms), and to the Ilocano word sarsarita. Proverbs originating from the Philippines are described as forceful and poetic expressions and basic forms of euphemisms. If used in everyday conversations, proverbs are utilized to emphasize a point or a thought of reasoning: the Filipino philosophy.[2] One notable and locally popular example of a Filipino proverb is this: A person who does not remember where he (she) came from will never reach his (her) destination. Of Tagalog origin, it conveys and urges one person to give "importance in looking back at ones roots and origins." The maxim also exemplifies a Filipino value known as the "utang na loob", ones "debt of gratitude" to the persons who have contributed to an individuals success.[2] Damiana L. Eugenio, a professor from the University of the Philippines, author ofPhilippine Proverb Lore (1975), and who is also referred to as the "Mother of Philippine Folklore"[5] grouped Filipino proverbs into six categories based on the topic expressed, namely: ethical proverbs (those that express a general attitude towards life and the laws that govern life itself), proverbs that recommend virtues and condemn vices, proverbs that express a system of values, proverbs that express general truths and observations about life and human nature, humorous proverbs, and miscellaneous proverbs.[2]

Usage
Philippine proverbs are further illustrated to be ornaments to language, words of ancestors handed down from one generation to another, and as wisdom gained from experience, which can be quoted to express a sentiment, a statement, or an opinion. Apart from this, Filipino proverbs are also used to prevent offending other individuals. This is one example of such a proverb: Bato-bato sa langit, 'pag tinamaan huwag magagalit, meaning "a stone thrown heavenward, if you get hit on its way down, don't get mad." Equipped with the appropriate and timely proverb, a Filipino can communicate empathy, and might be able to convince another person leading to the closure of an argument. Some Filipino proverbs are also intended to provide a warning, a lecture, an advice, and as a supporting statement for a particular viewpoint or issue.[1]

Example

Examples of Filipino Proverbs with English Translation

Hangga't makitid ang kumot, matutong mamaluktot. - - - While the blanket is short, learn how to bend.

Mahirap gisingin ang nagtutulog-tulugan. - - - It is hard to wake up someone who is pretending to be asleep . Kung pukulin ka ng bato, tinapay ang iganti mo. - - - If someone throws stones at you, throw back bread. Matibay ang walis, palibhasa'y magkabigkis. - - - A broom is sturdy because its strands are tightly bound. Pag may tiyaga, may nilaga. - - - If you persevere, you will reap the fruits of your labor. Kung may tinanim, may aanihin. - - - If you plant, you harvest. Mahirap mamatay ang masamang damo- Weeds are difficult to kill. Huwag kang magtiwala sa di mo kilala. --Don't trust strangers

The Origin of This World (Maranao)

from the Anthology of Philippine Myths by Damiana L. Eugenio 1 According to Maranaw folklore, this world was created by a great Being. It is not known, however, who exactly is this great Being. Or how many days it took him to create this world. 2 This world is divided into seven layers. The earth has also seven layers. Each layer is inhabited by a different kind of being. The uppermost layer, for example, is the place we are inhabiting. The second layer is being inhabited by dwarfs. These dwarfs are short, plump, and long-haired. They are locally known as Karibanga. The Karibanga are said to possess magical powers. They are usually invisible to the human eye. The third layer of the earth which is found under the sea or lake is inhabited by nymphs. These nymphs also possess certain magical powers. It is stated in the story of Rajah Indarapatra that he met and fell in love with the princessnymph with whom he had a child. 3 The sky also consists of seven layers. Each layer has a door which is guarded day and night by huge mythical birds called garoda. The seventh layer of the sky is the seat of heaven which is also divided into seven layers. Every layer in the sky is inhabited by angels. Maranaws believe that angels do not need food. They all possess wings with which they fly.

4 Heaven which is found on the seventh layer of the sky is where good peoples spirits go after death. Saints are assigned to the seventh layer while persons who barely made it are confined to the lower most layer which is found at the bottom of heaven. 5 It is in heaven where we find the tree-of-life. On each leaf of the tree-of-life is written the name of every person living on earth. As soon as a leaf ripens or dries and falls, the person whose name it carries also dies. 6 The soul of every person is found in tightly covered jars kept in one section of heaven. This particular section of heaven is closely guarded by a monster with a thousand eyes, named Walo. Walo, in addition to his thousand eyes, has also eight hairy heads. The epic Darangan speaks of Madale, Bantugans brother and, Mabaning, Husband of Lawanen, entering this section and retrieving the soul of Bantugan.

The Legend of the Sun, Moon, and Stars ( Why the Sky is High )

Long ago, our elders say, the sky was so close to the earth that one could touch it. But there were only two people who could avail of that fact. They were the first man and woman.

It has been said that the first woman was so vain. She wore so much jewelry and despised work. Whenever the first man would ask her to do something, she would pout. She pouted when he asked her to clean the house. She pouted whenever he asked her to cook. She pouted whenever he asked her to grind the rice grains everyday for their food.

"But if you dont grind the rice, we dont get to eat," the first man reasoned, and even the vain first woman could not dispute that.

But it was so much work grinding the rice with a little pestles and mortars. So she poured all their rice for the day into a very large mortar and took up a very large pestle to grind it with. The pestle was so tall that when it hit the mortar, it touched the sky. The first woman was oblivious to this. She only knew she had to grind all the rice before her husband came home for supper.

She still wore all her jewelry. She noticed that her jewelry kept falling off or hampered her in any other way whenever she worked. So she hung her larger pieces of jewelry upon the sky, which were her silver comb, her gold ring, and her long pearl necklace. And then she went to work with the huge pestle, unknowing that as one end of the pestle pounded onto the rice grains, the other end was pounding onto the sky. The first woman only knew that having the sky so low only made her task more difficult. So she pounded harder and harder on the rice. Higher and higher the sky went, until with one enormous stroke, the first woman sent the sky flying up, never to come so close to the earth again.

She sensed a draft behind her neck and looked up. She was astonished to see that the sky had risen so high and taken her most precious things with it! She could see her silver comb shining where the moon is now, and the beads of her lovely necklace twinkling all around it. Her golden ring was nowhere in sight. The first woman grumbled, "I would have worn those things again if Id known they would go to waste."

Why the Sky is High

In the early days, when the sky was still low, two brothers named Ingat and Daskol lived with their parents on Earth. As their names indicate, Ingat was careful in everything he did and was, therefore, his father's right hand man. He was always helping with the work in the field, and his parents were very pleased with him. On the other hand, Daskol did his work sloppily. In the absence of a daughter in the family, the house work came to be Daskol's responsibility. He fetched water, cleaned the house, and did the cooking. He also pounded the palay that his father and Ingat harvested. Even in pounding, Daskol lived up to his name. Half of the grain he pounded scattered and fell to the ground. Being naturally lazy and impatient, he did not like the work of pounding rice. One day, Daskol had to pound a greater quantity of palay than usual. He was irritated because, every time he raised the pestle, it would hit the sky. His anger added to his strength and desire to finish the work quickly. So he raised the pestle higher, and every time it hit the sky, the sky would be raised. In his hurry, Daskol did not notice that the sky was rising. When he finished pounding rice, he looked up and discovered that the sky had risen, and that is why it is where it is today.