Moral values in mḤallami proverbs

Abstract

In this article, we bring forward the role played in society by the Mḥallami proverbs as reflections of an inherited, traditional culture. The proverbs on which we shall rely our study will take into account that the socalled Mḥallami community has a special cultural geography, which comprises various cultures, languages and races. The research will briefly offer information on this cultural geography and then dedicate two sections to discuss specific proverb types: the incentive to morality and the averting from malicious or hideous deeds. The proverbs quoted in this paper were noted down according to their pronunciation by the Mḥallamis, but in order to clearly convey their meaning and function in society, a standard Arabic version is also offered. The conclusion of the article evaluates the artistic characteristics of these proverbs and gives a general assessment on the topic.