Priamels from "The Book of Proverbs": A Formal, Syntactic, Stylistic and Pragmatic Analysis

Abstract

Priamels from The Book of Proverbs constitute a specific group of maxims not only among proverbs but also among priamels. They are not a homogenous set, as the formal, stylistic, and pragmatic analysis proved. Priamels, especially the numeric ones, with many cited elements, are not concise statements with simple syntax characteristic of prototypical proverbs. They are characterised by repetitive syntactic patterns with certain regularity referring to cited elements. The accentuated poetic function of the language is expressed by the presence of many diverse stylistic figures more or less defining for priamels. The non-mechanical character of the message stemming from the frequent violation of maxims of relevance, quantity, and manner – as well as from the importance of the inferred information and expressive markedness – makes the impression of the proximity between the sender and the receiver, and strengthens the power of communicating the maxims’ message. Extended priamels, which are doubly numeric, do not occur anywhere else but in The Book of Proverbs.