Internet proverbs from the perspective of linguistic genology

Abstract

Proverbs as traditional forms of folklore have been forms susceptible to processing since antiquity. Modern variants of proverbs, however, often deviate from their literal meaning, becoming a tool of public discourse and an element of the subculture that uses it as a category of counterspeech. In the article, the author analyses the texts of memes with proverbs, which genetically reffering to traditional Polish proverbs. The aim of the research is to check whether the canonical features specific to this species form have been preserved in modern Internet proverbs and whether they meet similar functions. The analysis focuses on several prototypical features: in the structural plane – on maxim sizes, cognitive – on metaphor, pragmatic – on defin­itional models, stylistic – in rhymes. Research leads to the conclusion that proverbs functioning in the network in a specific, polymodal form of transmission (containing the iconic and verbal layers) have a new structure but retain traditional poetics and style. Moreover, they perform new functions, showing a discursive worldwiev.