FRAZEOLOGIZMY WSPÓŁCZESNEJ POLSZCZYZNY O MOTYWACJI SYMBOLICZNEJ, ZWIĄZANE PIERWOTNIE Z SYTUACJĄ WALKI ZBROJNEJ
PRESENT POLISH IDIOMS WITH SYMBOLIC MOTIVATION PRIMARILY CONNECTED WITH ARMED STRUGGLE SITUATION

Summary/Abstract: Polish phraseology distinguishes a group of word compounds motivated by symbolic situations, which primarily were connected with armed struggle. There are also registered symbolic behaviours, previously typical of Polish customs (e.g. somebody is calling to arms), and situations with figurative meaning which previously were characteristic of other cultures (e.g. somebody is burying a battleaxe). In spite of cultural changes, the motivation of studied idioms is enlightened (e.g. to challenge somebody). There are also idioms with obliterated initial motivation (e.g. somebody was burying a battle-axe). Motivated meanings connected with armed struggle of studied word compounds are also shown in compositions which describe a historic reality – then compounds function in the meaning of a conscious “historic excerption”. A consequence of cultural changes and disappearance of any situations with symbolic meaning can result in obliteration of initial meaning of idioms (mixing compounds with completely not-readable motivation) and also ageing, going out of use of any compounds (e.g. to beat a retreat). The analysed idioms function mainly in figurative meaning and they refer to different nonmilitary situations. Sometimes semantic changes are accompanied by formal changes (e.g. fulfilling of connoted positions of idioms by verbs belonging to another meaning classes).

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