The Concept of Dream as Aspiration in English, French and Romanian Proverbs
The Concept of Dream as Aspiration in English, French and Romanian Proverbs

Summary/Abstract: The present article focuses on the representation of dreams as aspirations in a selection of proverbs in the English, French, and Romanian linguistic pictures. Proverbs, as the embodiment of collective wisdom, often convey deeply rooted cultural beliefs regarding the pursuit of personal and collective goals. We begin our study by exploring the theoretical frame of paremiology, focusing on the researchers’ cognitive linguistic approach to proverbs, namely Neal Norrick, Richard Honeck and Jeffrey Welge, Gerd Antos and Anna Lewandowska and, finally, Wolfgang Mieder. We employ in our study the cognitive- prototypical scenario proposed by the researcher Anna Wierzbicka, an analysis through the lens of semantic primes which are defined as fundamental concepts that form the basis of human understanding and expression across various languages and cultures. This research method sheds light on both the universal and cultural specific elements of these proverbs, offering insights into how each language portrays the idea of pursuing one's dreams and how different cultures conceptualize dreams as aspirations and the individual’s potential of achieving them.

• Details
• Contents