Winnowed words of wisdom
Today we start a new weekly series, Proverbs with Punch. The insightful sayings are provided by Associate Professor Gina Salapata.
Born and raised in Greece, Salapata has been at Massey University since 1995 and is the classical studies programme co-ordinator. She has a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in the United States.
She is an avid collector of proverbs from around the world and says by sharing them we can increase our understanding of different cultures.
Proverbs distil many years of folk wisdom and common sense in a few words, she says.
“Proverbs reflect and transmit cultural values, beliefs, and traditions. They are a great avenue to engage young and old in dialogue and create bridges between different cultures because they often express the same ideas through different words. This can help us to see that we are really not all that different from one another.”
Proverbs are like little poems with rhyme and rhythm and every word must count.
Salapata has twice presented at the Interdisciplinary Colloquium on Proverbs in Tavira, Portugal.
Her ultimate dream is for Palmerston North to become the centre of proverbs for the southern hemisphere, just as Tavira is for the northern hemisphere.
Last year, she found proverbs to
display in George St shop and business windows as part of the Festival of Cultures.
Salapata was also involved in He Kupu Rangatira — The Proverb Pathway project for the Stairway of Ta¯ne in Palmerston North.
Do you have a favourite proverb? Share it by emailing manawatuguardian@nzme.co.nz.