ABSTRACT
All languages have proverbs and popular sayings that appear to be metaphorically transparent. Consequently, their interpretation should pose no serious problems for nonnative speakers and second language learners. This work explores an empirical observation: Their metaphorical transparency does not necessarily lead to one single interpretation across subjects. For almost any popular saying there are a number of possible interpretations, all compatible with its linguistic form. Normally, native speakers are unaware of interpretations different from that generally accepted in their community, but these tend to emerge naturally when fluent nonnative speakers participate in joint conversations. For instance, for a Swedish saying that translates roughly as “picking out mosquitoes and swallowing camels,” the interpretations of subjects unfamiliar with the expression fell into two distinct groups: For some it meant to attempt something very difficult; for others it meant to pay excessive attention to insignificant details while overlooking serious faults (the standard interpretation in Sweden). The aim of this chapter is to explore the extent to which this kind of variation is systematic and, if so, whether it can be traced to specific social, cultural, and linguistic factors. I report the initial results of an exploratory cross-linguistic study, wherein the preferred interpretations that native and nonnative speakers gave to a set of metaphorical proverbs were considered. Subjects came from a diversity of linguistic, social, and cultural backgrounds. Results suggest that complex inferences are at work in the interpretation and learning process of these expressions. Some of them are triggered by lexical meanings and associations specific to the languages with which a particular subject is familiar, while others seem to be derived from cultural practices, social knowledge, and salient values of specific groups.
