Proverb Analysis (25-Feb-2018)

Proverb Analysis

ఆకలి రుచెరగదు, నిద్ర సుఖమెరుగదు 

(Aakali ruchi yerugadu, Nidra sukham yerugadu)

Hungry doesn’t know the taste, sleep doesn’t know the comfort.

In a hungry state (not in a semi-hungry state) you will not think about any particular food and taste, whatever food you get, you will accept that food very happily. In a hungry/starving state we will think about only food, not about the different food items. Example: If I will not eat breakfast and lunch, at dinner time whichever food I get, I use to accept that food very happily without expecting any food, I want this kind of food with good taste, this might happen in a semi-hungry state or in other conditions. 

Hungry is a genuine need of our human body, and food is the medicine for that need. Like that sleep also, when we are so tired, we don’t think about the comfortable things like bed, air-conditioner/fan, pillow, blanket, etc. you are too sleepy, you might sleep in an uncomfortable chair also.

This proverb says about the value of needs and criticizes human massive wants as greed. There is a difference between intellectual need and genuine need. Intellectual needs want expected specific items of product, genuine need accepts any items of that product without any expectations.

If I want to know the time wherever you go, you can buy any watch, it is a genuine need. If you want to buy a watch to see the time and to show your prestige and privilege to others, then it will become an intellectual need. This Telugu proverb is also saying about the intent of genuine needs after hard work. 

By saying about genuine feelings through proverbs, they made a question on needs and wants which I require in my life. It also says that food will be tasty when you are hungry only, you will get nice sleep, when are tried only. 

This proverb is a short saying with high impact and came from the ancient through the oral tradition (No author is there). It is a profound terse sentence (saying a lot in fewer words). 

The stylistic feature of this proverb:

This proverb is having some alliteration (It is the omission from the community), parallelism- having the state of corresponding nature with some successive verbal features, when we got to know/realize the fact, we will try to respond to that fact. (When we (I) know the difference between the need of food for the stomach and the taste of food for my tongue, I will try to change my food habits). This proverb also has the rhythmic stylish feature by ending with the same word “Yerugadu” 

This proverb is not hyperbole, metaphor, personification, or a paradox. This proverb is not a contradictory, exaggerated, abstract statement, non-human representation, or abstract statement. Because this proverb can be experiential and experimental also, hungry and sleep are common for all human beings. If we experience starving and sleepless nights, we can/might also feel that there is no taste and comfort in starving and sleepless nights. In my personal experience, in movies, and surrounding places I observed this. It is a general/loose statement but a not an exaggerated statement. 

The syntactic feature of the proverb:

The syntactic feature and structure of this proverb is imperative negative/positive (Mostly Positive (impact) to psyche, mostly negative (impact) to the body) and declarative structure is there in this proverb. Which will move from euphony (the quality of pleasing the ear) to focus on our actions. It is not like a syntactic metaphoric statement.

The Pragmatic feature of this proverb:

The pragmatic feature of this proverb is to make us to strengthen your genuine needs of our life. Instead of looking best taste of food, we can adjust and accept with our surrounding food items. It focusses on hard work, then you can be happily enjoy, with whatever you have. When we are tired only we can sleep well, when we are hungry, then we can feel the food tasty. For tiredness and hungry we need to work hard. It is the pragmatic feature of proverb.

The equivalent proverb for this proverb in Telugu literature:  

1) When s/he had hungry, s/he ate pestle. (An exaggerated proverb)

(ఆకలేస్తే రోకలి ని తిన్నడట- Aakaleste Rokali ni tinnadata)

In Hungry state, he had a pestle, without controlling his hunger. In hungry (starving) stage, we will eat, whatever is near to you. 

2) When no one will be there brother-in-law only become head. 

(ఎవ్వరు లేనప్పుడు అక్క మొగుడే దిక్కు- Yevvaru lenappudu akka mogude dikku)

When there is no one in family, then the one who will be there, he will only be the head. Without any options. You need to accept what things/relations you have.

The opposite equivalent proverbs:

1) Whatever drought will come; tiger will not eat grass.

(ఎంత కరువు వచ్చిన, పులి గడ్డి మేయాదు- yenta karuvu vcchina puli gaddi meyadu)

Even though in troubles by forgetting about her/his nature, they will not eat/do the unusual things. 

2) We wake up those who are sleeping, but not who are acting like sleeping.

(నిద్ర పోయ్యవాణ్ణి లేపచ్చు గాని, నిద్ర నటించేవాణ్ణి కాదు- Nidra poyyevanni lepachu gani, nidra natinchevanni kadu)

It is very difficult to make show/realize the things those who act like genuine. 

3) We can’t eat with both the hands when we are hungry

(ఆకలిని రెండు చేతులతో తింటామ అన్నట్లు- aakalani rendu chetulato tintama). 

There are limitations for emergency needs also, in hungriness, we can’t eat with two hands, in genuine feeling also, and we have some certain kind of limitations will be there while fulfilling genuine need also.

Conclusion: The Process

Teaching proverbs will/may help us to convey the present and future responsibilities to others (including us) very diplomatically without hurting others a lot. Proverbs are short sayings but they will/may have a high impact on our life. These are contextual in nature, not rigid. “Every proverb has an equal and opposite Proverb” (Rao, 2018). Proverbs have neither formal roots (Focuses on the outcome) nor casual roots (focuses on no outcomes), proverbs have informal roots. In these informal roots, freedom will be there along with responsibilities. I think high-impact proverbs will be helpful to teach life lessons.