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THE EXPERIENCER IN VERBAL IDIOMS OF EMOTION IN ENGLISH AND GERMAN

THE EXPERIENCER IN VERBAL IDIOMS OF EMOTION IN ENGLISH AND GERMAN

Author(s): Camelia Bejan / Language(s): English / Issue: 20/2014

Keywords: emotion; Experiencer; idiom; thematic grid; thematic role;

Idioms encompass a wide variety of phrases, divergent in meaning and structure. Conceived as a contrastive study, this paper focuses on verbal idioms that render emotional states in English and German. What is characteristic about this class of idioms is that they always encode an Experiencer in their thematic grid. We provide an examination of the thematic roles assigned by the verbs to the NPs in such idioms, in an attempt to put forth a typology of emotion idioms based on the position of the Experiencer in their thematic grids. We also identify verbal idioms of emotion in which the Experiencer occurs either as an argument or as an adjunct.

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Zoomorphic Idioms Expressing Human Unhappiness in English and Lithuanian

Zoomorphic Idioms Expressing Human Unhappiness in English and Lithuanian

Author(s): Linas Selmistraitis,Elena Rinkauskaitė / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2011

Keywords: English and Lithuanian animal idioms, aspects of unhappiness; contrastive studi

The purpose of this study is to explore how human unhappiness is expressed through English and Lithuanian zoomorphic idioms. The research has been carried out deriving from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives, focusing on understanding of the main theoretical aspects of an idiom and the notion of ‘unhappiness’, and searching for the relationships between animal idioms in the comparable languages. To illustrate the main similarities and differences between animal idioms in two languages, 79 English and 122 Lithuanian animal idioms denoting unhappiness were subjected to the analysis. The comparative, descriptive and content analysis methods were mainly employed in the study. The analysis showed that the English and Lithuanian languages do not differ substantially in the choice of animals expressing the concept of unhappiness: 19 animal names coincided in both languages. However, although a number of idioms in the English and Lithuanian languages contain the same animals, they represent different aspects of unhappiness. The findings revealed that idioms connected with the dog comprise the biggest part of phraseological units in both languages; in the English language they make 25% while in the Lithuanian – 30% of the overall figure. Other animal names are not so conspicuous.

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MANAGING RISKS IN THE INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION OF TECHNICAL IDIOMS

MANAGING RISKS IN THE INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION OF TECHNICAL IDIOMS

Author(s): Nadia-Nicoleta Morăraşu,Gabriela Andrioai / Language(s): English / Issue: 35/2016

Keywords: technical idiom; idiomatic meaning; risks; translation strategies

In its narrower sense, the class of linguistic expressions called “idioms” involves fixed and semantically opaque units. Considering that most combinations of words with figurative meaning related to technology can be more or less transparent, while some are completely opaque, there is a high risk of interpreting their meaning without thinking about the metaphors they contain. The mitigation in this case lies in making sense of their idiomatic meanings by projecting mental images based on their metaphors.Starting from findings reported by semantic and cognitive linguistic research, our paper validates the assumption that native speakers use idioms coming from technology instinctively, without thinking about their figurative nature, while language learners tend to use them denotatively and run the risk of misinterpretation.In combining the semantic analysis of a lexicographic corpus of technical idioms with an applied linguistic approach to contextualized idiomatic expressions, we intend to perform an assessment of risk factors involved in translating English and Romanian technology-based expressions and to indicate some efficient strategies for their mitigation.

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About the Definition, Classification, and Translation Strategies of Idioms

About the Definition, Classification, and Translation Strategies of Idioms

Author(s): Gabriella Kovács / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2016

Keywords: translation of idioms; translator trainees; translation strategies; teaching material; task design

In translator training, the process of planning and implementing the teaching process and the design of teaching materials should be dynamic and flexible. With the future purpose to design teaching materials for idiom translation, this study proposes to explore those characteristics of idioms which might cause difficulties when translating them and some of the various classifications of idioms. Some of the relevant factors which might determine the appropriateness and acceptability of idiom translation and some of the translation strategies recommended in the specialized literature will also be presented. We proposed to analyse the idiom-translating solutions and strategies which the literary translator of the novel “A Game of Thrones” chose while translating it into Hungarian. Our aim is to decide whether the novel can be an appropriate source for authentic teaching material. We chose this novel mainly because it has recently become very popular among students, it is rich in idioms, and we believe that different aspects of idiom typology and different strategies used in idiom translation can be exemplified, demonstrated, and practised with the help of different tasks based on the original text and its Hungarian translation.

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Aspectual mismatches in the interpretation of idioms: the view from AspP

Aspectual mismatches in the interpretation of idioms: the view from AspP

Author(s): Imola-Ágnes Farkas / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2016

Keywords: idiom; telic; atelic; aspectual mismatch; aspect phrase (AspP);

The present paper is an attempt to uncover some of the (syntactic) properties of idioms that present aspects mismatches between their literal and idiomatic interpretation. The novelty value of the proposal lies in its syntactic rather than semantic or cognitive approach: whereas most accounts in the literature deal with this conundrum from a semantic and cognitive point of view, the present analysis provides a syntactic aspects account by relying on AspP.

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Contrastive Remarks on the Colour Idioms in English and Romanian

Contrastive Remarks on the Colour Idioms in English and Romanian

Author(s): Laura Ionică / Language(s): English / Issue: 18/2012

Keywords: idiomaticalness; semantic nuances; color idioms; expressiveness;

The present article is based on a contrastive analysis of colour idioms in English and Romanian, given the high degree of idiomaticalness in both languages. In order to meet the requirements of the study, we have based our arguments on a few objectives. The first one aims at a general description of colour idioms in English and Romanian, with a view to establishing both similarities and differences. The second explores the difficulties of translation, while the third objective emphasizes the wealth of semantic nuances that both languages comprise in order to highlight the expressiveness of colour idiomatic constructions.

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Cultural Identities Mirrored through English Idioms and Proverbs

Cultural Identities Mirrored through English Idioms and Proverbs

Author(s): Gabriela Andrioai / Language(s): English / Issue: 23/2018

Keywords: cultural identity; metaphor; cognitive linguistics; conceptual metaphor; idiomatic expressions; proverbs;

Generally speaking, we may view language as a cultural product with specific semantic references. Therefore, when dealing with such a complex phenomenon, we need to determine first, the way in which culture and language interact. If, by learning a foreign language, we get into contact with the cultural identity of a specific nation, then culture becomes its reference point and language turns into an indispensable tool which facilitates our understanding of the culture itself. If we assume this idea, then culture becomes a product of the human interaction. This close relationship between language and culture manifests into conventionalized language, especially in idiomatic expressions which beautifully reflect cultural significance. The scope of this study is not only to establish the way in which language and culture blend but also to explore the British cultural background by analysing, from a cognitive linguistic point of view, relevant metaphoric expressions found in idiomatic expressions and proverbs that speak about the identity of a nation.

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FREEDOM OF IDIOMS IN TRANSLATED TEXTS. PROS AND CONS

FREEDOM OF IDIOMS IN TRANSLATED TEXTS. PROS AND CONS

Author(s): Iulian Mardar / Language(s): English / Issue: XI/2018

Keywords: idiom; translation; culture; equivalence;

Idioms are nothing but samples of peoples’ creativity. They are metaphors, showing imagination, playfulness and a strong sense of humor and they agreed to be culturally marked. Translators who have solid cultural awareness in the langauges in which they operate are likely to find the cultural equivalent of any source language (SL) idiom in the target language (TL), whichever the languages brought into contact may be. But, is this not an act of injustice made by translators to the SL idiom? Idioms are the reasult of creation in the sense that the meaning of an idiom is encoded in its linguistic form just as meaning is encoded in painting and poetry. Under the circumstances, why should idioms not be translated word-for-word from one language into another, so that everybody can enjoy the linguistic creativity of the people who created them? If a painting representing a man without a moustache is exhibited in a museum in a country where all the men wear moustaches, should the curator of that museum add a moustache to the painting? The present paper aims at giving an answer to the question whether idioms should be translated word-for-word or meaning-for-meaning.

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ENGLISH IDIOMS WITH BIBLICAL ROOTS AND THEIR ROMANIAN EQUIVALENTS

ENGLISH IDIOMS WITH BIBLICAL ROOTS AND THEIR ROMANIAN EQUIVALENTS

Author(s): Floriana Popescu / Language(s): English / Issue: XI/2018

Keywords: (non-)translatable; idiomaticity; twin formation; binomial; simile;

The translation of idioms is a complex exercise which requires not only thorough knowledge of idiomaticity of both the source and target language but also well-documented dictionaries which provide relevant information about the nature and semantics of such constructions. This paper focuses on the special category of idioms which originate in the biblical texts and function both in English and Romanian. They have had a different evolution: while the English language has used them extensively, Romanian has shown a more restrictive attitude. As a consequence, the matching of the equivalent idioms in both languages has revealed a few language- and culture-specific aspects, which make the core of our analysis.

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English Mouth Idioms and Their Romanian Equivalents. A Cognitive Perspective

English Mouth Idioms and Their Romanian Equivalents. A Cognitive Perspective

Author(s): Ana-Maria Trantescu / Language(s): English / Issue: XIX/2018

Keywords: Cognitive approach; conceptual metaphor; conceptual metonymy; conventional knowledge; mouth idioms;

cognitive point of view a series of English and Romanian mouth idioms. While traditional linguists study mainly the formal and functional aspects of idioms, cognitive linguists have a completely different approach. Without totally denying the traditional perspective according to which the meaning of an idiom cannot be completely inferred from the meaning of its components, these linguists consider that there is a systematic conceptual motivation for a large number of idioms. Idioms are produced by our conceptual system and not simply a matter of language. The cognitive hypothesis attempts to provide an adequate motivation for most of these idiomatic expressions. Our work is based on the cognitive theory according to which idioms are motivated by conceptual structures: conventional knowledge, conceptual metonymies and metaphors. The notion of embodiment can be easily applied especially to human body idioms.We also try to demonstrate that there is a considerable degree of correspondence regarding English and Romanian mouth idioms in both languages, i.e., they share the same figurative meaning, as well as the same underlying conceptual strategies.

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The Reflexion of Spatial Reality in the Creation, Understanding and use of Idioms

The Reflexion of Spatial Reality in the Creation, Understanding and use of Idioms

Author(s): Bianca-Iuliana Misinciuc / Language(s): English / Issue: 05+06/2019

Keywords: idiom; culture; idiom variant; experiment; geolinguistics;

The understanding and use of idiomatic expressions are bound to the cultural or geographical space where they are originally produced. While knowledge of the meaning of idioms is acquired naturally by the native speakers of a particular language, different types of cognitive processes are employed by non-native speakers in order to decode the significance of unfamiliar expressions, as well as cultural knowledge, contextual information and geographical clues. The ability to decode the figurative meaning of idioms creates complicity between speakers and brings them together as members of a shared community created by geographic proximity or cultural kinship. This paper presents the results of a sociolinguistic experiment that aims to investigate the relationship between idioms and spatial reality, focusing on the contrast between familiarities and peculiarities and on the importance of the speakers’ surrounding environment, cultural background.

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Changes in the Semantic Structure of Polish Idioms with the Seme ‘age of man’ in Dictionary Definitions and Texts

Зміни у значеннєвій структурі польських фразеологізмів із семою ‘вік людини’ у словникових дефініціях і текстах

Author(s): Khrystyna M. Nikolaichuk / Language(s): Ukrainian / Issue: 54/2019

Keywords: idioms; age of man; semantics; norm; innovation; expansive units; recessive units;

This article analyses changes in the semantic structure of 204 Polish idioms (with variants) including the same ‘age of man’. Differences in the codification of these idioms in dictionaries from 1958–1969 and those published after 1989 are discussed with reference to the reflection of the temporal meaning in the definitions. On the basis of their contextual use in the National Corpus of Polish (NKJP) and the Internet (74,981), it was established that 35% of the idioms in focus are recessive units. The study also reveals that 43% of the 2,129 analysed innovations are expansive units, which have undergone semantic changes.

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The figurative idioms of English, German and Kazakh in contrast

The figurative idioms of English, German and Kazakh in contrast

Author(s): Nurkesh Zeynullovna Zhumanbekova,Yevgeniya Victorovna Bentyaa,Anargul Dzharbulova / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2018

Keywords: imagery; visuality; imagery means; imagery structure;

This article discusses the figurative phraseological units, namely, the idioms of English, German and Kazakh languages in comparative aspect. It appeals to the phraseology of imagery due to the fact that the imagery—a defining component of semantic derivation and semantics of phraseological units in particular. The main goal is to make a contribution to the theory of phraseology, based on the tradition of comparative phraseology. Also, a brief review of domestic and foreign publications in the field of comparative phraseology is done and the article describes the results of practical analysis of idioms in three languages. The main features of the analysed units are multi-component structure, stability, idiomaticity that distinguishes them from other expressions. They can be interpreted in two different conceptual levels: literal sense and figurative sense. In the analysis are used the method of field simulation. The study aims to identify and develop a model describing visual images as elements of the cognitive system.

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Activating Cognitive Strategies in Teaching Heart Idioms

Activating Cognitive Strategies in Teaching Heart Idioms

Author(s): Ana-Maria Trantescu,Georgiana Reiss / Language(s): English / Issue: 1-2/2020

Keywords: cross-cultural conceptual motivation;cognitive strategies;heart idioms;

The paper aims at bringing into focus the importance of approaching teaching idioms from the cognitive linguistic perspective. To this end, a contrastive study was conducted, which consisted of applying the traditional method and the cognitive linguistic method to two classes of Romanian students during the process of heart idioms acquisition. Since the conceptual framework is generally common to both languages, activating cognitive strategies (conventional knowledge, con-ceptual metaphor and metonymy) inteaching idiomatic structures proved to be effective by enabling EFL students to understand and use them creatively.

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Four-Character Idioms and the Rhetoric of Japanese Shakespeare Translation

Four-Character Idioms and the Rhetoric of Japanese Shakespeare Translation

Author(s): Daniel Gallimore / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2021

Keywords: Japanese writing system; yoji jukugo; Matsuoka Kazuko; idiomatic expression; visualization; classical rhetoric; malapropism

Yoji jukugo are idioms comprised of four characters (kanji) that can be used to enhance the textuality of a Japanese Shakespeare translation, whether in response to Shakespeare’s rhetoric or as compensation for the tendency of translation to be carried out at a lower textual register than the source. This article examines their use in two translations each of Julius Caesar by Matsuoka Kazuko (2014) and Fukuda Tsuneari (1960) and of The Merry Wives of Windsor by Matsuoka (2001) and Odashima Yūshi (1983); in both cases Matsuoka uses significantly more yoji jukugo than her predecessors. In the Julius Caesar translations their usage is noticeable in the set speeches by Antony and Brutus in 3.2, and commonly denote baseness or barbarity. In the Merry Wives translations they commonly denote dissolute behaviour, often for comic effect, and can even be used malapropistically in the target language.

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Conceptual Strategies in Teaching and Learning English Nose Idioms

Conceptual Strategies in Teaching and Learning English Nose Idioms

Author(s): Ana-Maria Trantescu,Georgiana Reiss / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2021

Keywords: cross-cultural conceptual motivation; conventional knowledge; metaphor; metonymy; nose idioms;

The cognitive linguistic approach to idioms, unlike the traditional one, attempts to prove that there are three important cognitive mechanisms (conventional knowledge, metaphor and metonymy) which link their literal meanings with the figurative ones. Conventional knowledge refers to the amount of information about a conceptual domain which is shared by people with the same cultural background. Metaphor is used to understand the target conceptual domain by means of the source one, being a relationship of the type “A is B”. Metonymy establishes a connection between two conceptual entities within only one conceptual domain, which can be represented as “A stands for B”. In order to improve EFL students’ general communication skills, teachers turn to idiomatic expressions, but they usually provide them only with the explanation and the translation of the respective idioms. Most students find it difficult to memorise idioms as such, and that is why teachers should find a pleasant alternative which can enable students to understand idiomatic expressions better and use them creatively. Our paper aims at demonstrating the effectiveness of teaching idioms from the cognitive linguistic perspective. We thus carried out an experimental study which consisted of teaching several English nose idioms to two classes of Romanian students, namely the experimental group and the control group, by means of the traditional approach and the cognitive linguistic one. By comparing the students’ responsiveness to each teaching method, as well as by assessing the results they obtained for the same test paper, we were able to explain the advantages of activating the aforementioned cognitive strategies in the process of nose idiom acquisition.

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TEACHING IDIOMS TO ALBANIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN KOSOVO

TEACHING IDIOMS TO ALBANIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN KOSOVO

Author(s): Mirsad Suhodolli / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2021

Keywords: Kosovo; English; idioms; teaching; learning; phrase;

Teaching English in general has not only become necessary but it has also made many teachers around the world strive to find the easiest solution to this issue. The paper in question deals with the same issue but with focus on teaching and learning idioms. It tries to give a new insight into the way students understand and learn idioms more easily. It takes into consideration two main concepts: learning by and teaching idioms to the university level students putting more emphasis on the latter. Some students might even wonder why to use idioms when people could have said words/phrases or sentences others would understand more easily without having to think much about their meaning. The answer to this lies in that native speaker use idioms very often so it is almost impossible for non-native speakers to avoid using idioms when communicating with native speakers of English. This is one of the crucial points the study in question also puts emphasis on. Apart from this, ever since the war ended in Kosovo, many organizations or educational institutions such as: OSCE, UNMIK, American School of Kosovo, British Council, American University of Kosovo have made it possible that people of Kosovo get in touch with native speakers who spoke English in a more natural way by also using idioms.

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TRANSLATABILITY OF IDIOMS - GETTING THE BEST OF BOTH TEXTS

TRANSLATABILITY OF IDIOMS - GETTING THE BEST OF BOTH TEXTS

Author(s): Iulia-Cristina Antonie / Language(s): English / Issue: 15/2022

Keywords: culture-specific items; translation studies; equivalence; stereotyping; intercultural competence; idiomaticity;

The paper focuses on the use of idiomatic language as epitomizing cultural stereotypes and the problem of fidelity in literary translation. It is common knowledge that idioms are specific to every culture and may lack direct equivalents in the target language. The paper enlarges upon two main problems associated with the translatability of idioms: how to comprehend the connotation of idioms in the source language, and how to reconstruct conceptually and structurally these idioms in the target language, sometimes changing referents while conveying the same meaning and the writer’s stylistic effect.

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IDIOMS IN BUSINESS ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS: THE CASE OF MARKET LEADER AND BUSINESS RESULT

IDIOMS IN BUSINESS ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS: THE CASE OF MARKET LEADER AND BUSINESS RESULT

Author(s): Lindita Skenderi,Suzana Ejupi / Language(s): English / Issue: 22-23/2024

Keywords: idioms; business English; business idioms; market leader; business result

Idioms represent an important part of effective communication between native speakers, but they are quite necessary among non-native speakers too. Their crucial role in making communication flow easily makes them attractive and important to be studied. Their use in not very common among non-native speakers, because they are usually taught at higher levels, such as C1 and above. This paper is a systematic analysis of idioms representation in Business English textbooks used in higher education, both Market Leader and Business Result. The focus is in identifying their presence in these textbooks, followed by an analysis and categorization of idiomatic expressions across various units and topics. A thorough approach of their complex nature and connection to real-world business scenarios is taken in order to see the efficacy of their inclusion in the textbooks. The paper contains extractions, which show how these expressions are introduced to students in these two textbooks, and if they are equivalent to the requirements in the Common European Framework of Languages. This research’s objective is to help teachers, educators and curriculum see how idiomatic language is treated in Business English textbooks. Also, the study adds a contribution of raising awareness of the role idioms play in language acquisition and the implications for effective business communication.

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French, English, and Georgian National and Cultural Heritage Reflected in Idioms

French, English, and Georgian National and Cultural Heritage Reflected in Idioms

Author(s): Natalia Surguladze,Irine Goshkheteliani,Sophio Kakhidze / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2025

Keywords: idioms; national characteristics; cultural heritage; etymology; cultural contextualization

This paper explores the national and cultural heritage embedded in French, English, and Georgian idiomatic expressions, examining how language reflects cultural values, beliefs, and stereotypes associated with different nations and regions. Figurative expressions, such as idioms, proverbs, metaphors, and similes, often encapsulate elements specific to a particular culture or society. Analyzing these expressions provides valuable insights into a nation's collective mindset, history, and social dynamics. Many of these units distinctly express the national identity of a language, reflecting customs, culture, traditions, and everyday behaviors. These include kinetic codes, which represent the national worldview and express the specifics of world perception and the distinctive ways of thinking characteristic of a particular culture. This study encompasses the complex culture and ethnopsychology of the French, English, and Georgian peoples and their unique modes of figurative thinking.This research aims to analyze the national characteristics reflected in French, English, and Georgian idioms, particularly those related to etymology and the customs of these cultures, which have acquired various semantic connotations over time. The methodology of this idiom research in the three languages involves comparative and contrastive analysis, lexical and semantic analysis, identification of national characteristics, etymological analysis, cultural contextualization, and cultural semantics. As a result, the following factors were found to be nearly common among the French, English, and Georgian peoples: boasting, love, friendship, family, labor, intelligence, skill, humor, cowardice, patience, suffering, loyalty, kindness, courage, forgetfulness, avoidance, help, guidance, ridicule, insult, talkativeness, stupidity, hedonism, pessimism, appearance, and treason. Analyzing French, English, and Georgian idiomatic expressions reveals both similarities and differences, highlighting cultural nuances across these languages.

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