2
Proverbs
Textbook: pp. 9–15
GoalLearn what a proverb (maqol) is and how to explain its meaning.
New words
proverb · maqolconclusion · xulosafigurative meaning · ko‘chma ma’nowisdom · hikmat
Explanation
A proverb (maqol) is a short saying that carries the wisdom of the people and gives a conclusion. The word “maqol” comes from Arabic and means “word”. Proverbs are often used in a figurative sense: the thing named in the saying stands for something else. For example, a proverb about farming can also speak about work and its result in general. Proverbs pass from mouth to mouth and from generation to generation. The textbook says that Gulxaniy used more than 400 proverbs in his work “Zarbulmasal”.
Worked examples
Example: a proverb in the spirit of “think a lot, speak once” teaches thinking before speaking – it gives a conclusion.
Example: in a saying like “a bird does what it saw in its nest” the point is not birds but upbringing – a figurative meaning.
Class activity
“Finish the proverb”: the teacher says the start of a familiar proverb; pupils finish it and explain its meaning.
Practice
1
From which language is “maqol” and what does it mean?
From Arabic; it means “word”.
2
In which work of Gulxaniy are there over 400 proverbs?
In “Zarbulmasal”.
3
Write a proverb you know and explain it in one sentence.
Depends on the proverb; the main idea (conclusion) must be stated clearly.
4
Why are proverbs used in a figurative sense?
So that one image can express an idea fitting many life situations.