proverb summary

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see proverb.

proverb, Succinct and pithy saying that is in general use and expresses commonly held ideas and beliefs. Proverbs are part of every spoken language and folk literature, originating in oral tradition. Often a proverb is found with variations in many different parts of the world. Literate societies dating to the ancient Egyptians have collected proverbs. One of the earliest English proverb collections, The Proverbs of Alfred, dates from c. 1150–80. In North America the best-known collection is probably Poor Richard’s, an almanac published 1732–57 by Benjamin Franklin.

Erasmus Summary

Erasmus Dutch humanist who was the greatest scholar of the northern Renaissance, the first editor of the New Testament, and also an important figure in patristics and classical literature. Using the philological methods pioneered by Italian humanists, Erasmus helped lay the groundwork for the