Sayings, Proverbs, and Repeated Discourse

Abstract

Fixed Phraseological Units, more specifically Paremiology, have been studied by linguistics since the twentieth century. Manuals and treatises developed during this time have contributed to the discipline’s growth and categorization. These units are defined as expressions composed of several words that occur in fixed combinations. They have distinct characteristics that differentiate them from free speech word chains: institutionalization, fixing, semantic specialization, idiomaticity, and gradation. They are also classified according to their structure: phrases, phraseological statements (such as proverbs), and famous quotes. Fixed Phraseological Units perform various roles in texts, easing the formulation and understanding of messages, evoking the context in which they arise or originate, and adding their own aesthetics, notably through phono-stylistic processes like rhyme.