Short, well-known sayings that express common truths or pieces of advice based on experience or folk wisdom.
From Latin 'proverbium', from 'pro' (forth) and 'verbum' (word), literally meaning 'words put forth'. The term entered English via Old French in the 14th century, referring to these condensed expressions of traditional wisdom.
Proverbs are humanity's attempt to package complex life lessons into memorable, portable wisdom - they often contradict each other ('look before you leap' vs. 'he who hesitates is lost'), revealing the nuanced, contextual nature of human experience.
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