Anti-Proverbs in Five Languages: Structural Features and Verbal Humor Devices

by Anna T. Litovkina, Hrisztalina Hrisztova-Gotthardt, Peter Barta

This book is the first comparative study of English, German, French, Russian and Hungarian anti-proverbs based on well-known proverbs. Proverbs are by no means fossilized texts but are adaptable to different times and changed values. While anti-proverbs can be considered as variants of older proverbs, they can also become new proverbs reflecting a more modern worldview. Anti-proverbs are therefore a lingo-cultural phenomenon that deserves the attention of cultural and literary historians, folklorists, linguists, and general readers interested in language and wordplay.

262 pages, Hardcover

Published January 12, 2022

About the author

Anna Tothne Litovkina