Rhythm and variation of proverbs: Diachrony, geographical variation and modified proverbs

Abstract

The importance of metrics, rhythm and rhyme in proverbs has been noticed and pointed out in many cases, but the studies have so far been limited to a fi xed vision of the saying. A diachronic and a geographical approach show that every kind of variation can produce variants and this work aims at investigating the permanence of these remarkable characteristics when the statements are transformed.