 Proverbs and idiomsHere follow some examples: An idiom often used is: Those who set a trap for others, fall into it themselves. The Swedish people say: Den som gräver en grop åt andra, faller själv däri. If we translate the Swedish idiom word for word, it would be like this: One who digs a pit for others, will end up there himself. The only difference between the English and the Swedish version of this idiom is that in Swedish we use the word pit instead of trap. Another common idiom is: As you make your bed, so you must lie on it. In Swedish we express it like this: Som man bäddar får man ligga. If we translate the Swedish expression word for word we can see it´s the same as the English. In the next idiom we can find a difference about the word order. The English idiom is: Hit the nail on the head. In Swedish we express it like this: Slå huvudet på spiken. When we translate the Swedish idiom word for word we can see the difference. The translation would be like this: Hit the head on the nail. "I can smell a rat here" is also a common idiom. In Swedish we express it like this: Det ligger en hund begraven här. If we translate the Swedish idiom exactly into English it would be: There is a dog buried here. The big difference is that in Swedish we use the word dog and in English you use the word rat.  Another often used proverb is: Speech is silver, silence is gold. The Swedish translation for that is: Tala är silver, tiga är guld. In English it would be: To speak is silver, to be quiet is gold. Obviously both the Swedish and the English mean the same. A quite common proverb is: The early bird catches the worm. In Swedish we say: Morgonstund har guld i mund. The English translation from Swedish is: Morning time has gold in its mouth. The difference between the English and the Swedish is that the English people use words for animals instead of words like morning time, and gold. Both expressions mean the same. A very common idiom is: When in Rome do as the Romans do. In Swedish it would be: Man får ta seden dit man kommer. The English translation from Swedish is: You should adopt the custom where you are. The meaning of the idiom is the same in Swedish and English but you say it in another way. This is a very old idiom which was developed during the Antique. You can understand that because the English use the words: Rome and Romans. How have the proverbs and idioms appeared and why do they mean the same things in many countries? As you already know now some English and Swedish idioms and proverbs are quite similar. Our thoughts are that they have developed from generation to generation and that they have crossed the borders between countries. The meaning of them has also changed during the history. Now we will answer the question: How have the proverbs and idioms appeared? We think that some of the proverbs and idioms have their roots in the Bible and the early western culture in the Antique. Therefore they mean the same in many countries. What is your own opinion about idioms and proverbs? Please send us a reply. 
© 1999 Freeway Writers: Andreas Naslund (sp01-40@park.se) and Peter Schunemann (sp01-18@park.se) Profiles |