noun
traditional saying; proverb; idiom
Refers to a phrase or expression that has been passed down through generations, often encapsulating folk wisdom or a conventional way of speaking. Similar to ことわざ but can also include set phrases and habitual expressions.
「急がば回れ」は有名な言い習わしだ。
"Haste makes waste" is a well-known saying.
この地
Many old sayings remain in this region.
ことわざ specifically refers to proverbs with a moral or practical lesson, while 言い習わし is broader, including any traditional saying or set phrase.
慣用句 are idiomatic phrases whose meaning cannot be deduced from the individual words, whereas 言い習わし emphasizes the traditional, passed-down nature of the expression.
Compound of 言い (the continuative form of 言う 'to say') + 習わし ('custom, practice'). Literally 'a custom of saying', referring to expressions that have become customary through repeated use over time.