PHRASEOLOGY Free word-groups and set phrases

PHRASEOLOGY • Free word-groups and set phrases • Motivation of phraselogical units Terms: phraselogical units, idioms, collocations • Proverbs, sayings • Valency

Free word-groups and set phrases • Word-groups or phrases put together to form lexical units. • Semanticaly word-groups may be classified into motivated and nonmotivated. In motivated word-groups the lexical meaning of the groups is deducible from the meaning of their components.

• Non-motivated word-groups are defined as phraseological units, they cannot be freely made up in speech, but reproduced as readymade units. Phraseological units are stable and semantically inseparable.

Which of the following word-groups are motivated and which are not? • To go on foot, to go to bed, to turn in, to be a cool cat, pepper and salt, to work out, hot dog, to be caught between the devil and deep blue sea, to kick the bucket

About terms • The term phraseological units is widely used by soviet linguists (A. I. Smirnitsky, N. N. Amosova, V. V. Vinogradov) • The term idioms is widely used by foreign scientists. An idiom is the assigning of a new meaning to a group of words each of which is already has its own meaning.

Proverbs and sayings. What do they have in common with phraseological units, with idioms? • Proverb: a well-known phrase or sentence that states the truth or gives advice • Saying: a well-known phrase or statement (that expresses sth about life that most people believe is wise and true: ‘Accidents will happen, ’ as the saying goes. )

Examples: • Don’t wash your dirty linen in public; it is so silly – this cat and dog existence; I do not deny that he has kept me in the dark as to his resourses; better late than never; everyone calls his own geese swans; among the blind the one-eyed man is the king

Exam(ination) • take/do/sit an examination (not to write an examination) • Examiner, examenee • examine, test, quiz • She did well in her exam. She did well on her exam. • To pass, fail an exam

Classification of Phraseological units CHARACTERISTICS STRUCTURE COLOCABILITY MEANING

Classification • Structurally word-groups may be divided into indocentric and exocentric. • In endocentric word-groups the central component is the main word, the head word to which other members are subordinated (a nice girl, cruel to animals).

• According to the head word-groups may be classified into nominal, adjectival, verbal groups, e. g. a decent man, kind to people, to read between the lines, to fall in love … • Word groups that have no central member are defined as exocentric, e. g. word for word translation; become stronger;

Valency • Lexical valency • What is valency? • lexical valency or collocabibility. (to take an examination, to pass an examination, to fail an examination) • Grammatical valency

V. V. Vinogradov’s classification • • fusions, unities, collocations • 1) Fusions Examples: at sixes and sevens (in a mess); red tape; to kick the bucket, dead from the neck up.

2)Phraseological unities • to wash one’s dirty linen in public, to play the first feedle. • 3) Phraseological collocations • cash and carry (self-service shop), bear malice, take a liking.

A. I. Smirnitsky’s classification • A. I. Smirnitsky’s classification of phraseological units is based on a comparison between phraseological units and words: heavy weight, heavy father (a scolding father). Amosova’s classification is based on contextual approach (fixed context). Phrasemes: small hours, small talk; idioms: a mare’s nest (a discovery which proves to be untrue or valueless), in the nick of time (at the exact moment), a dark horse (a mysterious person).

idioms • don’t beat a dead horse; have an eye on; take the bull by the horns; have second thoughts; boon companion; Cold Duck; a gypsy cab; drink with the flies; small hours; small talk • Most idioms are recognized as ‘frozen metaphors’, they are ‘full’ idioms. • Besides ‘full’ idioms linguists also identify what are called ‘partial idioms’.

partial idioms • In partial idioms, some of the words have their usual meaning while the others have meanings that are peculiar to that particular structure. • Examples: to make a bed (bed is not idiomatic); white coffee (is brown in color); white wine (is usually yellow) • White is idiomatic at least to some degree: it could be interpreted as ‘the lightest in color of that usually to be found’.

continuation • In partial idioms, some of the words have their usual meaning while the others have meanings that are peculiar to that particular structure. • Examples: to make a bed (bed is not idiomatic); white coffee (is brown in color); white wine (is usually yellow)

Some more idioms • bonehead; all Greek to me; a can of worms; see eye to eye ; to look on the bright side; an idiot box (to agree fully) • Match the following idioms with the right definitions: to blow the whistle; to pull one’s leg; flesh and blood; to keep one’s nose clean • (to tease someone; to stay out of trouble; to disclose a secret; a close relative)

continuation • don’t beat a dead horse; have an eye on(about smth. wanted); take the bull by the horns; have second thoughts(change one’s mind, think over); boon companion (good friend); Cold Duck(cocktail); a gypsy cab(a taxi); drink with the flies (to drink alone); small hours; small talk

literature • 1) I. V. Arnold The English Word M. , 1973 • pages 140 -163 • 2) G. B. Antrushina and others English Lexicology M. 1999 • pages 235 -237; 242 -250