also: やまよりおおきなししはでぬ
expression
things cannot be larger than the things that contain them
Proverb meaning that something cannot exceed the scale or capacity of its environment or source. Literally, 'there are no boars larger than the mountain (in which they live).'
「山より大きな猪は出ぬ」ということわざは、器以上のものは生まれないという意味だ。
The proverb 'Yama yori ookina inoshishi wa denu' means that nothing can exceed the capacity of its container.
A traditional Japanese proverb. The exact origin is uncertain, but it draws on the image that a wild boar living in a mountain cannot grow larger than the mountain itself.