LINGUO-ETHNOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF GENDER RELATIONS AND FAMILY MODELS IN ARMENIAN PAREMIOLOGY

Abstract

This article presents a linguo-ethnographic analysis of gender relations and family models as reflected in Armenian paremiology. Utilizing a purposive sample of sixty proverbs from fundamental academic collections, the study examines the strict spatial, economic, and moral divisions within the traditional patriarchal gerdastan (extended household). A comparative methodology is employed, juxtaposing Armenian proverbs with English and Russian equivalents to identify universal structural models of gender complementarity and national peculiarities. Statistical analysis of character frequency and spatial domains reveals that the primary target of social regulation is the woman, whose activity is largely confined to the internal hearth, yet she wields absolute domestic authority. Furthermore, dialectal material from the Syunik-Artsakh region highlights the tension between biological-social preferences and moral justice. Ultimately, the research demonstrates how paremias encapsulate the psychological depths of social institutions, serving as mechanisms for both social control and the preservation of familial integrity.