Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

Abstract

This research presents a pragma-cognitive analysis of Arabic proverbs in the Sa'idi (Upper Egyptian) cultural context based on television discourse as its corpus. It investigates proverb usage, their roles in the communication of social norms, and the connections between language, thought, and culture. By employing a pragmatic framework based on Speech Act Theory and the concept of recontextualization, this study examines the use of indirect, culturally loaded speech acts and the endorsement of the local community as a source of metaphor and irony. The results show that the illocutionary force of a proverb is highly dynamic and shifts based on context. Moreover, the choice of a proverb to execute a certain speech act depends less on the literal meaning of the proverb and more on the cultural authority it has, thus requiring a thorough understanding of the circumstances for full interpretation. These findings have significant implications for cognitive linguistics, language pedagogy, and intercultural communication. The study advocates for the integration of proverb study in translation and teaching to bridge the gap of cultural differences and suggests subsequent cross-culture comparative research to determine whether the performative functions of proverbs are universal or culture-specific.

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