Abstract
Proverbs are précised and condensed sayings frequently used that express general
truths or practical precepts. They have their origins in oral tradition and tend to
change little from generation to generation. Being transmitters and reflectors of
accumulated wisdom, they are generally accepted blindly; and are a manifestation
of the traditional values of a society. In the context of gender and language
relationships, proverbs acquire great significance because they mirror the
traditional power relationships between genders. The present research is a sociolinguistic and critical discourse analysis of proverbs of English and Urdu to examine
how power relationships of different genders are determined through linguistic
choices in different languages/societies. Data for the present research is taken
from one English and one Urdu dictionary of proverbs. Data has been categorized
and analyzed to examine how a woman is perceived, symbolized and portrayed
through Urdu and English proverbs. It is also examined whether the stereotypical
image of the woman is same in English and Urdu proverbs. It is expected that the
paper would help in a better understanding of the image of women as presented
through the accumulated wisdom of English and Urdu proverbs.
