Fixed Expressions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Fixed Expressions - Essay ExampleRosamund daydream claims that fixed expressions, especially highly colorful and metaphorical idioms and proverbs, argon comparatively infrequent. They appear to be more frequent in spoken text than written although to date thither are few all-encompassing studies of their actual distribution. Strassler assesses the frequency of idioms, excluding phrasal verbs, in spoken discourse as around cardinal(a) per 4.5 minutes of conversation. A survey of 240 English proverbs finds that there are around 33 instances of proverbs per million oral communication of OHPC1.As a matter of fact the use of fixed expressions, which are not translated literally, but are perceived after comprehension, amplifies the aesthetic aspect of language. By means of idioms the information aspect of language is supplemented with a sensual-intuitive description of our world, our life.In order to make a clear analysis of any phenomenon it is very classical first to consider its terminology. While synodic month is using fixed expressions and idioms (FEIs) as a general term, there are others in use, in addition to broader uses of idiom. Phraseological whole is used in some Slavonic and German linguistic traditions as a superordinate term for multi-word lexical items see, for example, Glser (1984 348). Similarly phraseme is sometimes used as a superordinate term outside Anglo-American traditions, for example Melcuk (1995). on that point are, however, other uses for both terms. For example, Vinogradov and Tschernischova restrict phraseological unit to more metaphorical items, and Amosova (1963) uses phraseme for multi-word items which are not pure idioms see Klappenbach (1968 passini). Phraseological unit and phraseme can be determine with Lyonss phrasal lexeme (1977 23)2. Classifications of fixed expressions and idioms Rosamund Moons classification Now let us consider different types of classifications of fixed expressions and idioms. Moon limits classific ation of forms of fixed expressions to simple categories such as Metaphors semantically marked (non- integrative). There are three types of metaphors 1. Opaque metaphors (for example bite the bullet, kick the bucket)2. Transparent metaphors (for example behind someones back, pack ones bags)3. Semi-transparent metaphors (for example on an even keel, pecking order)3.Formulae, which are pragmatically marked. Moon considers three different types of formulae4 1. Similes (as good as gold)2. Simple formulae/sayings compositional strings with a special discourse function (alive and well, a horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse)3. metaphorical/literal proverbs (you cant have your cake and eat it, enough is enough). Anomalous collocations, collocations that are lexico-grammatically marked, grammatically ill-formed, or restricted, or contain a word or use of a word that is unique to the combination5. Within preposterous collocations Moon distinguishes four types1. Phraseological collocatio ns semi-productive constructions, occurring in paradigms (in/into/out of action, on show/display)2. Cranberry collocations idiosyncratic lexical component - one or more words found only in that collocation (in retrospect, kith and kin) 3. Defective collocations idiosyncratic kernel component (in effect, foot the bill) 4. Ill-formed collocations (at all, by and large). Collocations compositional word co-occurrence of markedly high frequency6. There are