Idiom - what is it and where is it used? The idioms of the Russian language

It is difficult to imagine a speech in which no such pearls sounded like winged expressions, phraseological units. This is the wealth of any language, its decoration. The study of stable expressions is devoted to a whole branch of linguistics - phraseology.

What is an idiom?

Scientists-philologists in a huge number of bright and unique phrases define three types of phrases: phraseological combinations, unity and adherence. The latter is an idiom. What is fusion? This phraseology, which is not semantically divided, that is, its meaning is not at all derived from the meaning of its constituent words. Many of the components of the idiom represent an already outdated form or meaning, now completely incomprehensible.

A fairly vivid example is the expression "to beat the buckets". It is used when they want to say that someone is sitting around, hardly thinking about what a bacchus is and why it should be beaten. In earlier times it was quite an easy job, not requiring qualification or special skill, even a child can do it: a log was split into billets, from which the master then made various household utensils, for example, wooden spoons.

The term "idiom" from Ancient Greek is translated as "feature, originality", "special turn". By the way, what is an idiom is well illustrated by the attempt of a literal translation of these turns into foreign languages. It is almost impossible to do this: as they say, untranslatable play of words.

The use of idioms in the literature

It is difficult to imagine even a work of its own, where phraseological units are not used. Literary speech without their use becomes faded and, as it were, artificial. The idioms of the Russian language live so organically in it that sometimes they are not even noticed at the moment of use.

Try to imagine a dialogue in which one person, telling the other about the material wealth of someone third, would long describe how rich he is. Most often he would put it short and capacious: "Yes, he does not peck at the money", as, for example, A.Ostrovsky's heroine does in the play "Her people - we will be counted".

This expression is also found in A. Chekhov, I. Shmelev, and other classics and writers. And this, of course, is not the only so widespread idiom. Examples can be given indefinitely.

The most important feature of phraseological units is their metaphorical, figurative character. Academician N.M. Shansky even gave them such a definition as "miniature works of art". Can they exist without large creations without them?

The use of idioms in the media

Modern newspapers and magazines try to give expressiveness of their materials expressiveness. The language of the media is enriched by the ability of steady turnovers not only to determine an object or phenomenon, but also to show their appreciation by the author. This is "working" the emotionality of phraseological units. Their functional-stylistic qualities are widely used in various genres of journalism.

The idioms of the Russian language In the sphere of the media, "allow themselves" to change the parts of their words, and add or subtract them, which by and large contradicts the scientific point of view on the structure of phraseological units. This is done to enhance the necessary impression.

So, in the press one can find "extended" idioms such as "kindle serious passions" instead of the established "kindle passions", "lather your neck well" - "soap up your neck." The phrase "he went through fire and water" can be met without the final words "and copper pipes."

The more inventive the journalist uses phraseological units, the more catchy the material he gets, and the more adequate will be the reader's reaction to it.

The use of idioms in colloquial speech

At stable lexical turns, as well as at words, the main function is that they are able to name objects and their signs, phenomena and states, and also actions. The idioms of the Russian language Can be replaced by one word and vice versa. Thus, in colloquial speech, rather often the word "sloppy" occurs more often than the word "carelessly". If they want to emphasize a small amount of something, instead of the word "little" it will be more likely to sound "with a gulkin nose" or "a cat burst into tears". To confuse - to confuse, to liking (not to liking) - like (do not like it). There are many examples of idioms when they compete with conventional words.

Much more lively conversation sounds if, characterizing someone's courage, the interlocutors will agree that he is "not from a timid dozen"; That someone did his job not somehow, but "through a stump-deck"; And someone else is dressed in a suit "with a needle", ie, a new one, and after talking, they will go to "freeze the worm" instead of a banal "snack".

Role of the idiom in Russian

Phraseological units in our vocabulary occupy a special place. The idioms of the Russian language are widely used both in epic works of oral folk art, classical and modern literature, being a very important tool for their creation, and in the media and everyday spoken language.

They occur literally at every step, and therefore it is interesting to know their origin and it is necessary - meaning, meaning. Thanks to this, it will be possible to use them competently and to the place, enriching and making your own speech more colorful. In addition, this knowledge will help to better understand the various literary texts.

The role of the idiom in our language is quite large also because, thanks to them, it is possible to maximally express our attitude to this or that event or phenomenon, "including" the figurative meaning.

You can also call the laconization of speech. Phraseologicalism, cutting it, as if squeezing it, gives it a great deal of energy.

Role of the idiom in foreign languages

Phraseological units - the wealth of Russian vocabulary. However, this language layer is sufficiently inherent in other systems. Extremely interesting are the Chinese idioms , which are one of the deepest legacies of the culture and traditions of this country. In the corresponding dictionary there are about 14 thousand.

Equivalent to Chinese idioms in other languages is difficult to find, because they are often based on some national legend or historical fact.

Similarly, an essential part of the English lexicon is the idioms of the English language. With the translation, As well as from Russian to other foreign, here too there are difficulties. As an example of classical sustainable expression, the English phrase It's raining cats and dogs , which literally translates as "rain from cats and dogs", can be cited. This analogue of the Russian idiom "pours like a bucket."

As in our language, in English the phraseological fusion is used in different speech styles and in different literary genres.

Conclusion

Some of their phraseological accretions are used quite often, others are less common, but each of them is a grain of the "gold reserve" of the national language and national history.

Especially in this sense, Chinese idioms are noteworthy, since they not only emphasize the "wingedness" of expressions, but are the bearers of China's traditional culture, in which such human qualities as wisdom, honesty and loyalty, rules of decency and friendliness are especially valued. All this is the main content of the phraseology of the Celestial Empire.

Finding out what an idiom is, we can conclude: this is the wisdom of this or that people, collected in its entire history and preserved to the present day. The presence of imaginative stable turns gives any language a depth and a special color.