one swallow does not a summer make
proverbEtymology
Calque of Ancient Greek μία χελιδὼν ἔαρ οὐ ποιεῖ (mía khelidṑn éar ou poieî), part of a remark found in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (1098a18: “one swallow does not a spring make, nor one fine day; similarly one day or brief time of happiness does not make a person entirely happy”), itself inspired by the fable The Young Man and the Swallow by Aesop. The proverb is an allusion to the migration of swallows to Europe during spring. The unexpected translation of ἔαρ (éar) (meaning "spring") as "summer" seen in English is also encountered in many other languages, such as Dutch een zwaluw maakt nog geen zomer and German eine Schwalbe macht noch keinen Sommer (note the descendants at the Ancient Greek entry). The unusual English word order (in use from circa 1920) may be intended to reflect the Greek word order, or it may be influenced by the line “Stone walls do not a prison make,” from To Althea, from Prison by Richard Lovelace (1642).
One instance of an event (such as the arrival of a single bird) does not necessarily indicate a trend.
- [T]hough one swallow does not make a summer, one engagement is apt to make several, and her boys were, most of them, at the inflammable age when a spark ignites the flame[.]1886, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, chapter 9, in Jo’s Boys, and How They Turned Out. A Sequel to “Little Men.”, Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, →OCLC:
- One swallow does not a summer make, nor one onion a spring garden.1921 April 4, “Smile a While”, in The Day, retrieved 29 Nov 2011, page 6:
2 more examples
- One swallow does not a summer make and one football game doesn't make a season.1969 September 19, Bob Johnson, “Sports: September Madness”, in Spokane Daily Chronicle, page 15:
- Added one Western diplomat: "Aquino's success undoubtedly weakens the Communists' appeal to the so-called mass base. But one swallow does not a summer make."2001 June 24, Susan Tifft, “The Philippines: Now the Hard Part”, in Time, archived from the original on 12 Aug 2009:
- Related terms
- X does not a Y make