Analiza semantyczno-strukturalna i etymologiczna polskich i angielskich idiomatyzmow zawierajacych nazwy kolorow
The semantic-structural and etymological analysis of Polish and English idiomatisms including the names of colours

Summary/Abstract: The article entitled presents the semantic-structural and etymological analysis of Polish and English idiomatisms including the names of colours. In the theoretical part of the article, the author initially defines the very term ‘idiom (idiomatism)’ and next explains why idioms as such are quite difficult to describe in linguistic terms. Following this, the division (typology) of idiomatisms is demonstrated considering the two basic criteria – structural and functional ones. Further on, a few reasons are provided for why idiomatisms are used in everyday communication at all. In the practical empirical part of the article, the author performs the comparison of nearly 80 equivalent pairs of idiomatic expressions including the names of colours in terms of the similarities and differences in their meanings, structures and origins (etymology) in both languages. The two sections – theoretical and practical – are then followed by a few vital conclusions made by the author, drawn on the basis of all the data presented in the article. The result of the study implies that, although the vast majority of Polish idiomatisms including the names of colours do have idiomatic equivalences in English, the correlations between the corresponding pairs are quite varied and need to be precisely described in order to use such units faithfully and accurately in each of the languages.

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