Paremiological Aspects in the Construction of National Identity

The current tendency of effacing borders between cultures is met with the counteraction of maintaining that which unifies and makes a nation unique: its culture, its heritage, its history, and last but not least, its language. Since translation has become the most important bridge between languages and cultures around the globe, the question is: how can translation ensure the preservation of identity, be it cultural or linguistic? Considering that which builds the identity of a nation, reference must necessarily be made to folklore as an essential part of its culture. On a more particular note, we speak of customs, traditions, riddles, jokes, proverbs and so on. The proverb stands out as a time-tested, impersonal expression, carrying the authority and wisdom of time, in the form of short sentences or phrases. They express the result of experience, containing a piece of advice or a lesson, in a concise and suggestive manner. As most of them are transmitted orally, they have a very traditional character. They discuss moral issues, bits of wisdom applicable to various life situations. The present paper aims at analysing the ways in which proverbs become an essential component in the construction of Romanian national identity.