Czech Proverbs and Sayings Over a Few Centuries

Proverbs are an integral part of each language. Language is a living and transforming itself so its form is being changed over time. Some language units die away and others come into being. It is likewise the same with proverbs. The theoretic part of this diploma thesis treats of the definitions of the terms ``proverb{\crqq} and ``saying,{\crqq} their etymology, origin and extinction as well as caricatures of proverbs. The practical part is based on a research of selected people{\crq}s knowledge of proverbs. The results are analyzed in view of the age of the respondents as well as their education and they are depicted in graphs. The proverbs named by respondents are translated into English, German, French and Russian