Phraseological unit: definition of the concept

Idioms, winged expressions, proverbs and sayings form a huge stratum in any language, thanks to which speech becomes richer and brighter. Otherwise they are called phraseological units. What this is and what they are, we will consider in this article.

Definition

The study of the lexicon in question is engaged in phraseology. A phraseological unit is a stable idiomatic expression in a language whose meaning is clear to all its bearers. Synonyms of this concept are words of phrase, phraseology.

Functions

A phraseological unit can perform the functions of different parts of speech. For example, it can be:

• Noun (orphan, a dog in the manger);
• Verb (to beat the buckets, to burn out life, to finish drinking to the green serpent);
• Adjective (drunk in the insole);
• Adverb (headlong, not resting).

Like any language phenomenon, the phrases have their own characteristics.

1. Reproducibility. This sign shows that the phraseological unit is familiar to most native speakers, and it is not invented every time again. For example, "to beat the buckets" means to "sit back".
2. Semantic integrity, by which we understand the full or partial rethinking of the words that make up the phrase. For example, the expression "he ate a dog" means "experienced", and not the fact that someone ate a dog.
3. Separateformality implies the presence of two or more words in the phrase, which outside of it have a different meaning.
4. Stability is a sign that shows the possibility or the impossibility of changing the composition of a composition by reducing, expanding or replacing its constituent words. An unstable phraseological unit can be changed by:

• Vocabulary when one word is replaced by another;
• Grammar, when the expression is subjected to grammatical changes, without changing the meaning;
• Quantitativeness, when phraseology changes due to the expansion or reduction of components;
• Position, when components are swapped.

Overview of Classifications

Many linguists tried to classify the phraseological units, and the approaches were different. Some relied on grammar and structure, others on stylistics, and third on meanings and themes. Each classification has a right to exist, and below we will consider the most important.

• The first classification of phraseological units was proposed by L. P. Smith, in which the latter were grouped according to their theme. For example, "human activity", "natural phenomena." The main drawback of this typology is the ignoring of the linguistic criterion.
• Unlike its predecessor, the linguistic principle was put into the classification developed by V.Vinogradov. The types of phraseological units proposed to them were divided according to the semantic unity - unity, combination and fusion.
• NM Shansky proposed, in addition to phraseological units, to separate a separate classification for expressions (sayings, proverbs and winged expressions).
• The classification proposed by AI Smirnitsky was based on the structural-grammatical principle.
• The basis of NN Amosova's classification was the value of phraseological units and an analysis of their context.
• SG Gavrin approached the classification from the side of their functional-semantic complication.
• AV Kunin supplemented the classification of V. V. Vinogradov.

Classification of V. V. Vinogradov

In unity, the word (phraseological unit) coincides with its components, that is, it is clear from what has been said about what is being said. For example, pulling a strap is a long time to do something.

Faces - the value does not coincide with its constituent components. For example, "to beat the buckets" - to sit back. In some fights there are words that have lost their original meaning and are no longer used in modern Russian. For example, buckets - chocks, which were used when making wooden spoons.

In combinations, the meaning of phraseology is made up of components, one of which has a binding function, in which one of the components of the phraseological unit is combined with one word, but does not combine with the others. For example, you can say "fear takes", "sadness takes" in the meaning of "scary" or "sad," but you can not say that "joy takes" in the sense of "fun."

Classification of AI Smirnitsky

This classification divided phraseological units into idioms, phrasal verbs and phraseological units proper. Both the first and second were divided into 2 groups, which, in turn, were divided into subgroups:

A) single-peaked:

• Verb-adverbial (truths and crooks);
• Equivalent to the verbs, the semantic core of which is in the second component (easy and simple to do);
• Prepositional-substantive, equivalent to adverbs or predicates (brothers in reason);

B) two-and multi-vertex:

• Attributive-substantive, the equivalent of which is a noun (a dark horse, a gray cardinal);
• Verbal-substantive, the equivalent of which is the verb (take the word);
• Repetitions are adverbial equivalents.
• Adverbial multi-vertex.

Classification of NN Amosova

In the typology of NN Amosova, phraseological units are divided into idioms and phrases, the approach to classification of which is based on the analysis of the context. Analysis means a combination of a semantically realizable word with an index minimum. This context can be permanent or variable. In the constant context, the indicative minimum is a constant and the only possible semantically realizable word for a given value. For example, "white lies", "leave in English."

In the case of variable contexts, words in the index can change, but the value will remain the same. For example, with the word "dark" you can say "horse" and "man" - "dark horse", "dark man" in the meaning of "secret, secretive".

Phraseologisms with a constant context are divided into phrases and idioms.

The classification of SG Gavrin

SG Gavrin classified phraseological units from the aspect of functional-semantic complication. Thus, his classification of phraseological units included stable and variable-stable combinations of words. SG Gavrin's research in the field of phraseology was based on the work of V. V. Vinogradov and N. M. Shanskii and continued the development of four types of phraseological units.

Classification of AV Kunin

The classification of phraseological units, compiled by AV Kunin, supplemented the classification of V. V. Vinogradov. It included phraseological units:

1. One-vertex from one significant and two or more non-significant lexemes.
2. With the structure of a coherent or subordinate word combination.
3. With a partially predicative structure.
4. With a verb in an infinitive or in a passive voice.
5. With the structure of a simple or complex sentence.

From the point of view of semantics, AV Kunin divides the above phraseological units into four groups:

• With a component, that is, denoting an object, a phenomenon-they are called nominative; To this group are 1, 2, 3 and 5 types of phraseological units, except complex;
• Without subject-logical meaning, expressing emotions - such phrases are called interdomain and modal;
• With the sentence structure, which are called communicative, - this group includes sayings, proverbs and winged phrases;
• The 4th group belongs to the nominative-communicative.

Sources of phrases in Russian

Phraseological units of the Russian language can be:

• Primordially Russian;
• Borrowed.

The origin of the original Russian is associated with everyday life, dialects and professional activities.

Examples of phraseology:

• Household - a goal like a falcon, hang your nose, take for a living;
• Dialect - peak position, smoke with a yoke;
• Professional - to cut under the walnut (carpenter), pull the gimp (weaving), play the first violin (musician).

The borrowed phraseological units came into Russian from Old Slavonic, ancient mythology and other languages.

Examples of borrowing from:

• Old Slavonic - forbidden fruit, median eyelids, dark water in oblatseh;
• Ancient mythology - the sword of Damocles, the torment of Tantalus, the box of Pandora, the apple of discord, to sink into oblivion;
• Other languages - blue stocking (English), broad (German), not at ease (French).

Their meaning does not always coincide with the meaning of the words entering into them and sometimes requires more knowledge, besides understanding the meaning of lexemes.

Phraseological expressions

Phraseological expressions and phraseological units of language are united by the fact that they are stable expressions, and the speaker can easily reproduce them. But in the first components of the expressions can be used independently and as part of other phrases. For example, in the expressions "all ages are obedient to love," "seriously and for a long time," "wholesale and retail" all words can be used separately.

It should be noted that not all linguists studying phraseological units with a component considered it possible to include them in a phrase dictionary.

Winged expressions are expressions borrowed from literature, cinema, theatrical performances and other forms of verbal art. They are often used in modern speech, both verbally and in writing. For example, "happy hours are not watched," "all ages are submissive to love."

Proverbs and sayings are holistic expressions that have elements of instructiveness and can be applied in a variety of situations. Unlike winged expressions, they do not have an author, since they were created by the people for many centuries and passed from mouth to mouth, and have reached our time in their primary form. For example, "Chicks in the Autumn Count" means that the results of a case can be judged after it is completed.

Unlike the proverb, the saying is a figurative, emotionally colored expression. For example, the saying "When the cancer on the mountain whistles" means that some business is unlikely to be committed.

Proverbs and sayings are a vivid reflection of the values and spiritual development of the people. Through them, it's easy to see what people love and approve of, and what does not. For example, "Without difficulty you will not pull out fish from the pond," "Human labor feeds, and laziness - spoils," talk about the importance of labor.

Development trends

Of all categories of the language, vocabulary is the most affected, since it is a direct reflection of the changes taking place in society.

Today, the lexical composition of the Russian language is experiencing a neologic boom. Why?

The first reason - social, economic, political and spiritual changes in Russia in the 90's. The second is the activity of the media and the Internet, which led to freedom of speech and a large number of foreign-language borrowings. The third is the rapid development of technology, contributing to the emergence of new information and words. This situation can not but affect the meaning of words - they either lose their original meaning, or they acquire one more. Also, the boundaries of the literary language are expanding - today it is open to colloquial, prostitution, slang words and phraseological units. Speaking of the latter, it is worth noting that the peculiarity of modern phraseology is not the meaning of words, but their combination. For example, "wild market", "shock therapy", "neighboring countries", "cool outfit", "advertising break".

Mini test

And now we suggest you check your erudition. What do these phraseological units mean:

• Nodding;
• Bite your tongue;
• Everything in the hands burns;
• To run off headlong;
• To wind on a mustache;
• Eyes fled;
• Counting crows;
• Turns in the language;
• To lie with three boxes.

Check with the correct answers. Values (in order):

• want to sleep;
• To be silent;
• A person does something easy and beautiful;
• To run very quickly;
• Remember something important;
• A person from a large number of things can not choose one thing;
• sit back;
• A person wants to remember something well-known, but can not;
• Promise or lie.