Paper short abstract:

The ethnolinguistic insight into Slovenian short folklore forms (proverbs, riddles, incantations, etc.) will show which animals are named in them and what characteristics were given to these animals as well as what the culturally specific behavior towards them was.

Paper long abstract:

Short folklore forms, with their naming of phenomena, beings, and objects, are connected with ethnography, folk intangible and material heritage of the people. They transmit experiences (proverbs), knowledge (riddles), prejudices (swear words), but also stereotypes and expected characteristics and events. With an ethnolinguistic approach and the help of semiotics, we can take a closer look at the deeper structures and meanings of short folklore forms and further at social stereotypes. In the paper, animals in Slovenian short folk forms (from the archive of the Institute of Slovenian Ethnology), their stereotypical representation as well as their metaphorical meaning will be presented. In the researched material the named animals are domestic as well as wild animals, never-the-less mostly animals from the near surrounding. It shows that the animals were all over observed and further characterized by people. The insight into short folklore forms will show which characteristics were given to them as well as what the culturally specific behavior towards them was.