Refraneros y cancioneros

Universal / particular ... general / pragmatic

There is a sense in which proverbs are universal in meaning. (By universal I mean trans-cultural.) In other words, we might expect to find the *same* or at least the equivalent proverb, in various cultures. At the same time, proverbs seem deeply inbedded in a particular culture, in that they often draw on culturally specific information. Rome wasn't built in a day become "no se ganó Zamora en una hora." There may be a few master-proverbs, of the type, "the father will resemble the son," with various expressions in different cultures.

Another interesting dichotomy. Proverbs seem to be the expression of very general truths. Yet their actual use, or deployment comes in pragmatic situations. Their meaning is in their application to ordinary situations in life. You would say that somebody wouldn't know the meaning of proverb unless they could use it in a specific situation.

I find the power of the proverb to lie in its combination of universal and culturally specific, general and pragmatic uses.