Proverb Lore

Hulme, F. Edward (Frederick Edward), 1841-1909Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 495K words
Chapters: 50

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Proverb Lore by F. Edward HulmeAuthor: Hulme, F. Edward (Frederick Edward), 1841-1909,Language: English, Class: PN: Language and Literatures: Literature: General, Criticism, Collections, Release Date: Oct 31, 2010

Editor's review

This book is a collection of discursive notes on proverbs by F. Edward Hulme, a nineteenth-century British naturalist and illustrator. In an erudite essayistic style, the author arranges proverbs current in the English-speaking world by theme, tracing their origins and evolution while discussing their use in everyday speech and literary quotation, with occasional observations on human affairs. It is not a systematic dictionary of proverbs but rather a browsable miscellany on language and culture, moderately dense with information and highly entertaining, suited to readers interested in English idioms and folk culture. Most of the proverbs discussed derive from classical texts and oral tradition; readers can both build up expressions and glimpse how Victorian intellectuals viewed language and custom. Because the book was written long ago, some views bear the mark of their era and should be read as cultural historical material rather than a modern standard of usage. This is the free Project Gutenberg electronic edition in the original English, easy to search, suitable as leisure reading or supplementary material for language learning.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English learners interested in the origins of English proverbs and idioms
Casual readers who enjoy essayistic writing on language and culture
Readers studying folklore, proverbial sayings, and Victorian cultural tastes
Writing and translation enthusiasts in need of English allusion material

Not a good fit for

Exam-oriented learners seeking standard modern usage of English proverbs
Users of reference works who prefer systematic entry-based lookup and rigorous format
Readers accustomed to Chinese translations who are unfamiliar with English originals

Reading tips

Skim the table of contents first and start with proverb themes that interest you; no need to read from beginning to end.
When you meet an unfamiliar proverb, note it down and check its current meaning in a modern dictionary.
Copy proverbs quoted in the book onto cards for building up English writing and speaking.
Watch for the author's period biases and treat the book as cultural historical material rather than settled conclusions.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a dictionary of proverbs?

No. It is closer to an essayistic ramble through proverbs: the author discusses their origins, usage, and cultural meanings rather than arranging entries alphabetically. If you need a lookup reference, it cannot replace a professional proverb dictionary; if you want to enjoy the stories behind proverbs, it is the better fit.

Can readers with average English read it?

The subject itself is English proverbs, and the book quotes extensively from the original, so a certain foundation in English reading is required. Readers with average proficiency can use the electronic edition's search and translation tools for support, starting with short passages and gradually expanding rather than trying to understand every allusion at once.

Why should readers watch for the period views?

The author lived from the nineteenth to the early twentieth century, and his comments on folklore, language, and social phenomena reflect the perspectives and limits of intellectuals of his time. Such judgments should be read as historical material rather than conclusions still valid today, so that you can enjoy the book without being misled.

How is the electronic edition best used?

The Project Gutenberg edition is a free English e-book, convenient for full-text search and excerpting. It suits jumping between themes on a computer or e-reader and serves as auxiliary material for finding the sources of English proverbs when writing or translating, but it is not recommended as a systematic textbook for learning English.

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About the author

Hulme, F. Edward (Frederick Edward), 1841-1909 Author

F. Edward Hulme (Frederick Edward Hulme, 1841–1909) was a British naturalist and writer of popular works; details of his life are limited in publicly available sources, and three of his books are currently held in this collection. His writing spans vexillology, proverbs and myth: The Flags of the World: Their History, Blazonry, and Associations surveys the history, heraldic composition and cultural associations of national flags in an informative and readable manner; Proverb Lore examines the origins, transmission and use of proverbs; and Myth-Land retells myths and legends for general readers. Hulme excelled at turning specialist knowledge into clearly organized, richly illustrated popular books, written in plain yet careful prose, and he holds a place in late nineteenth-century British popular writing on natural history and the humanities; his works are still consulted by researchers and enthusiasts in these fields.