Adage

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For the magazine AdAge, see Advertising Age. For the computer graphics company, see Adage, Inc.

An adage (/ˈædɪdʒ/; Latin: adagium) is a concise, memorable, and usually philosophical aphorism that communicates an important truth derived from experience, custom, or both, and that many people consider true and credible because of its longeval tradition, i.e. being handed down generation to generation, or memetic replication.

Variations and nature[]

An adage sometimes warns against a failure to plan, such as "do not count your chickens before they hatch" and "do not burn your bridges".[citation needed] Adages may be interesting observations, ethical rules, or skeptical comments on life in general.

Some adages are products of folk wisdom that attempt to summarize a basic truth; these are generally known as "proverbs" or "bywords". An adage that describes a general moral rule is a "maxim". A pithy expression that has not necessarily gained credibility by tradition, but is distinguished by especial depth or excellent style is denominated an "aphorism", while one distinguished by wit or irony is often denominated an "epigram".

Through overuse, an adage may become denominated a "cliché", "truism", or "old saw". Adages originating in modernity are often given proper names and denominated "laws", in imitation of the nomenclature of physical laws, or "principles".[citation needed] Some adages, such as Murphy's Law, are first formulated informally and given proper names later, while others, such as the Peter Principle, are given proper names when formulated; it might be argued that the latter do not represent true adages, but the two are often difficult to distinguish.[citation needed]

Adages that were collected and used by ancient writers inspired Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus to publish his own collection. He revised his moderate volume of 800 adages many times until the final edition of Adagia published in 1536 included over 4,000.[1] There have been many such collections since, usually in vernacular languages.[citation needed]

Historical usages and examples[]

"Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all."

- From In Memoriam, by Alfred Lord Tennyson[2][3] 

"All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages."

- From As You Like It by William Shakespeare[4]

Contemporary applications[]

Adages formulated in popular works of fiction often find their way into popular culture, especially when a subculture devoted to the work or its genre exists, as in the case of novels of science fiction.[citation needed] Many professions and subcultures create their own adages, which are cognizable as a kind of jargon; such adages may find their way into popular use, sometimes being altered in the process.[citation needed] Online communities, such as those that develop in Internet forums or Usenet newsgroups, often generate their own adages.[5]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Speroni, Charles (1964). Wit and wisdom of the Italian Renaissance. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
  2. ^ Hillier, Russell M. (28 February 2017). Morality in Cormac McCarthy's Fiction: Souls at Hazard. Springer. ISBN 978-3-319-46957-7.
  3. ^ "Adage - Examples and Definition of Adage". Literary Devices. 8 January 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  4. ^ La Herencia. Gran Via, Incorporated. 2003.
  5. ^ Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage. 1994. ISBN 0-87779-132-5.

External links[]

  • Media related to Adages at Wikimedia Commons
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