An Interpretation of the Significance of ‘Time’: The Case of English and Persian Proverbs

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating how people conceptualize time as an essential capacity of human cognitive processes and how such conceptualizations are reflected in a given language. Accordingly, English and Persian cross-culturally equivalent proverbs which reflect deeply rooted perspectives of the two languages were analyzed. After the classification of proverbs in four functions, Evan's (2007) model of temporal conception was utilized to analyze them. To understand the process of verb(s) and the role given to the word 'time' in those proverbs, Halliday's (1994) System of Transitivity was applied. Also, the frequency of senses and roles given to the word 'time' were calculated and compared to find out the dominant sense and roles, respectively and the probable cause(s) underlying their similarities and/or differences. Our findings indicated that English proverbs made use of more influential words and concepts about the significance of time. The overall results are discussed and implications are mentioned.