Work

Is It Okay for Pots to Laugh at Kettles? Slovenian, Estonian, and Belarusian Proverbs about Joking and Laughter

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This article is an attitude analysis that discusses how laughter and joking are portrayed in Slovenian, Estonian, and Belarusian proverbs. A search of Estonian and Slovenian databases of proverbial expressions and Belarusian paroemiological dictionaries yielded 142 Slovenian proverbs, 111 Estonian proverbs, and 55 Belarusian proverbs that mention laughter, joking, jokes, or mockery. Attitude analysis of the proverbs shows that negative attitudes towards these mirthful expressions are more common at 54% of the total number of proverbs in all three languages, with positive attitudes in 35% of proverbs and neutral attitudes in 11%. The attitude distribution was consistent across the three linguistic groups. We also discovered similar content elements in the three corpora of proverbs, which might signal that some attitudes towards laughter and joking can spread across different cultures and regions in Europe.

Source: Folklore

DOI: 10.1080/0015587x.2026.2679907

Authors: Anastasiya Fiadotava, Saša Babič, Piret Voolaid

Language: English

Topic: Humor Studies and Applications

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum, Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium, Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS

Awards: Humorous folklore in everyday life, G2476290867, Patterns of emotional development in Estonian culture, Ethnological, anthropological and folklore studies research on everyday life, Language, culture and values: the economic images of everyday life in short folklore forms

OpenAlex ID: W7206201077

FWCI:

Cites: 27

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