Women are as fickle as April weather – are they really?Lemut Bajec, Melita (Avtor) Šumenjak, Klara (Avtor) proverbswomanAnglo-American proverbsSlovenian proverbsdictionary definitionsshared proverbial traditiontranslation studiesThis study represents the first cross-linguistic comparison of Anglo-American and Slovenian proverbs featuring the word woman. First, dictionary definitions were analysed to assess portrayals of women and their societal roles in the selected reference works. Next, a bilingual corpus featuring the word woman was compiled, with 211 Anglo-American and 72 Slovenian proverbs to investigate the extent of shared proverbial culture. Lastly, a selection of seven equivalent proverbs in both languages was compiled to explore the cultural elements embedded in these proverbs. The study found that Anglo-American dictionary entries are more inclusive than Slovenian ones, which largely reinforce patriarchal values. The research also revealed a rich shared proverbial tradition. While the analysis of cross-linguistically equivalent proverbs did not uncover many culturally specific elements, it highlighted the universality of human thought and the pervasive influence of patriarchal values, portraying women as subordinate, emotionally unstable, and morally questionable. Nonetheless, the research also identified proverbs that acknowledge women’s strength and independence. Lastly, the study emphasises that proverb translation cannot be reduced to a purely lexical process but involves varying degrees of adaptation to convey culturally embedded meanings.20262026-06-30 12:34:19Članek v reviji23192sl