The Metaphor of the Animals' Names (Wolf and Sheep) in Arabic and English Proverbs: A comparative Study

Abstract

This study investigated the meanings conveyed by wolf and sheep concepts in Arabic and English proverbs, as well as the similarities between both languages regarding these meanings. Data of the study comprised Arabic and English proverbs related to wolf and sheep. They have been gathered from two dictionaries of proverbs. Arabic proverbs have been collected from Majma^c Al-Amthal, while English proverbs have been gathered from The Oxford Dictionary of English Proverbs. The data analysis focused on the investigation of the meanings of wolf and sheep proverbs using the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) and the Great Chain of Being (GCB). The analysis revealed that both animals are used to convey some meanings about human beings. Moreover, the results indicated that these meanings are common in the proverbs of both languages though they are related to two different cultures.