A cognitive contrast of Polish and English proverbs with dog components

The article deals with the application of dog metaphorical concepts embodied in the proverbs of Polish and English linguo-cultures. By conducting a cross-cultural cognitive investigation of the main meaning encoded in the selected proverbs the aim of the study is directed at examining the universality of proverbs' content and the socio-cultural influences upon the use of dogs in proverbial items. Furthermore, there are shown some mechanisms affecting the conceptualization of human behaviour perceived in terms of animal behavior.