Maltese proverbs on women

Abstract

The world of proverbs contains numerous maxims about women. Paremiological research on such proverbs presents women in the position of traditional roles, indispensable to the family but servile and dependent on males. A patriarchal mentality dominates similar proverbs related to women’s characteristics. Thus, in this context, ‘Being a woman is a terribly difficult task, since it consists principally in dealing with men’ (Conrad 1913). It is interesting to investigate Maltese proverbs involving women. How do Maltese proverbs portray women? Does antifeminine bias dominate them, as seen in other languages? This paper analyses the way women are presented in some Maltese proverbs, revealing the mentality and customs of Maltese society at the time. This will encourage the reader to reflect on the progress many modern societies have made regarding antifeminism. The paper also includes a list of Maltese proverbs related to women, alongside their English translations, to help paremiological analysts comparatively research proverbs on women.