The Concept of Absurdity as Reflected in Persian and Arabic Proverbs

"Proverb" is considered as a literary-lingual topic that has outstanding status in Iranian and Arabic culture.Iranian and Arab proverb writers have tried to collect and record proverbs. The method of proverb research andcompilation is mainly based on"alphabetical classification" and there seems to be no logical and semantic relationship between proverbs. The authorbelieves that classification of proverbs based on "semantic fields" can help,on the one hand,proverb researchers in anthropological studies and discovery of cultural and civilizational elements; and on the other hand, it will enable them to access related proverbs in different fields. In this study, an attempt is made to examine proverbs related to the concept of "absurdity"in Persian and Arabic. At first, different definitions of "proverb" from the Iranian and Arabresearcher's perspective have been presented. Then, a collection of these proverbs has been examined comparatively. This article can be applicable in domains of proverb studies and compilation as well as comparing Persian and Arabic sayings with special emphasis on “semantic classification” rather than “alphabetical classification”. The author regards vain, uncouth, illogical and bold behaviors which are of little or no far-sightedness, out of measure and lacking wittiness as a social and cultural damage and has tried to examine the various aspects of absurdity in Persian and Arabic proverbs.