Proverb

A proverb, from the Latin proverbium, or an adage, is a simple traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience, often metaphorical and an example of formulaic language; collectively, proverbs form a genre of folklore. Some proverbs exist in more than one language because they have been borrowed across cultures in contact with one another, and in the West the Bible and medieval Latin, aided by the work of Erasmus, have played a considerable role in spreading them, though almost every culture also has its own proverbs unique to it.