
audiobook
by P.-M. (Pierre-Marie) Quitard
A richly compiled anthology gathers centuries‑old sayings that turn on the themes of women, friendship, love and marriage. The collector, a seasoned scholar of proverbs, brings together familiar maxims and many previously unpublished fragments, arranging them into a lively “proverbial shield” that reflects the everyday wisdom of French and wider European cultures.
Each entry is followed by clear, concise commentary that traces its origins, explains its cultural background and often adds a witty twist. The notes reveal how these short verses have been used to praise, critique or simply amuse, showing the balance between serious moral guidance and the playful humor that people have always found in folk wisdom.
Listening to this collection feels like strolling through a historical market of ideas, where every proverb offers a glimpse into how past societies thought about relationships and social norms. It’s both an entertaining and enlightening journey for anyone curious about the language of love, friendship, and marriage.
Language
fr
Duration
~10 hours (607K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Laurent Vogel and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Books project.)
Release date
2020-10-05
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects
1792–1882
Best remembered for his lively dictionaries of proverbs and rhymes, this 19th-century French writer turned language into something practical, curious, and fun to explore. His books brought together history, etymology, literary examples, and everyday expressions for a wide readership.
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