Difference Between Proverbs and Quotes

The key difference between proverbs and quotes is that the proverbs are a short, well-known sentence containing a wise thought whereas the quotes are the words said by a specific person. Moreover, the source of proverbs is usually untraceable whereas the source of quotes is traceable.

Proverbs are short, popular sayings with an unknown, but ancient origins indicating a general truth or a wise idea. However, quotes are words said by a specific person.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Proverbs
3. What are Quotes
4. Side by Side Comparison – Proverbs vs Quotes in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What are Proverbs?

A proverb is a short, well-known saying that contains a wise thought or a general truth. In brief, proverbs give us advice about life.  They are often based on common sense or practical experience. Furthermore, they are often metaphorical and use formulaic language. Every culture has its own share of proverbs.  Collectively, they are a genre of folklore. Given below are some examples of proverbs from the English language.

• You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar.
• Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
• A rolling stone gathers no moss.
• An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
• ‘Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.
• A stitch in time saves nine.
• You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.

Moreover, proverbs are usually anonymous; i.e., their creator is not known. They come from a variety of sources. In the West, the Bible and Medieval Latin are considered to have played a major role in distributing proverbs.

What are Quotes?

A quote is a quotation from a text or speech. In other words, it is the repetition of someone else’s statement or thoughts. Therefore, if you quote someone as saying something, you repeat what they have written or said. Given below are some examples of quotes:

• “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” – Maya Angelou
• “Criticism is easy; achievement is difficult.” – Winston Churchill

• “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King Jr
• “Happy is the man who can make a living by his hobby.” – George Bernard Shaw
• “You only pass through this life once; you don’t come back for an encore.” – Elvis Presley

What is the Difference Between Proverbs and Quotes?

The key difference between proverbs and quotes is that the proverbs are short, well-known sentence containing a wise thought or a general truth whereas the quotes are the words said by a specific person. Another difference between proverbs and quotes is their origin or source. While proverbs have an unknown, but ancient origin, quotes’ origins are traceable. Moreover, proverbs contain a wise thought or piece of advice while quotes are the ideas and opinions of people. Thus, we can consider this also as a difference between proverbs and quotes.

Below infographic summarizes the difference between proverbs and quotes.

Summary – Proverbs vs Quotes

Proverbs are short, popular sayings with an unknown, but ancient origins indicating a general truth or a wise idea. However, quotes are words said by a specific person. While proverbs have an unknown, but ancient origin, quotes’ origins are traceable. Therefore, this is the key difference between proverbs and quotes.

Reference:

1.“154 Famous Quotes.” Inspirational Words of Wisdom. Available here  
“Proverb.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Jan. 2019. Available here 

Image Courtesy:

1.”Chinese Proverb On Windmill” by Piotr Siedlecki (CC0) via PublicDOmainPictures.net
2.”He who joyfully marches – Albert Einstein”By nagualdesign (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia