Representation of gerontogenesis in German proverbs: a denotative aspect of semantics

The article highlights the problem of interpreting the denotative aspect of the semantics of German proverbs denoting gerontogenesis. The selected paraphrases are classified into five thematic groups: external changes, health status, social perceptions, emotional and personal sphere, cognitive sphere (listed in ascending order). The smallest groups of German proverbs are those dealing with external changes and health issues among elderly people. The group of German proverbs reflecting public perceptions of the elderly is intermediate. The most numerous thematic groups are those addressing the emotional and personal sphere and the cognitive sphere. Additionally, this article aims to provide further nuanced insights and promote a deeper understanding of these important linguistic and cultural phenomena. The findings of the study indicate the relevance of the emotional, personal and cognitive spheres of elderly people’s activities for the German-speaking society. The psychological portrait of old age encoded in the proverbs covers a wide range of cognitive and mental changes. German paroemias depicting gerontogenesis visualize the phenomena of everyday reality: skin wrinkles and graying hair, health conditions, stubbornness, low empathy, craving for comfort, vulnerability of the elderly, fear of death, life experience and wisdom or their lack, strength or weakness of old age, learning ability or its lack, irreversibility of aging, early preparation for old age, social neglect of older people, stereotypes about older women, low work performance, condemnation of love and romantic relationships between representatives of two generations – old and young, guidelines for perception of elderly people. The listed phenomena of extralinguistic reality carry different connotations but together illustrate the denotative aspect of the semantics of German proverbs to denote gerontogenesis.