Difference between revisions of "Idiom"
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Linguipedia (talk | contribs) (New page: An '''idiom''' is a complex expression whose meaning cannot be inferred from the meanings of its parts. ===Term properties=== The relational adjective is ''idiomatic''. ===Origin=== This...) |
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| − | An '''idiom''' is a complex expression whose meaning cannot be inferred from the meanings of its parts. | + | An '''idiom''' is a complex expression whose meaning cannot be inferred from the meanings of its parts. It is a fixed combination of elements with an idiosyncratic, not (completely) [[compositional meaning]], such as ''kick the bucket'', ''spill the beans''. |
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| + | Idioms are generally inaccessible for syntactic and/or semantic variation: sentence (ii) cannot mean that some people died last week. | ||
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| + | (i) He kicked the bucket last week | ||
| + | (ii) * Some buckets were kicked last week | ||
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| + | Nevertheless, elements of idioms may sometimes be moved (as in (iii)) or modified (as in (iv)). | ||
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| + | (iii) advantage<sub>i</sub> was taken t<sub>i</sub> of Bill | ||
| + | (iv) he kicked the proverbial bucket | ||
===Term properties=== | ===Term properties=== | ||
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===Origin=== | ===Origin=== | ||
This sense of ''idiom'' is first attested in the 17th century in English. The word was used earlier in the sense 'own language'. | This sense of ''idiom'' is first attested in the 17th century in English. The word was used earlier in the sense 'own language'. | ||
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| + | === Link === | ||
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| + | [http://www2.let.uu.nl/UiL-OTS/Lexicon/zoek.pl?lemma=Idiom&lemmacode=645 Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics] | ||
===Other languages=== | ===Other languages=== | ||
German [[idiomatischer Ausdruck]] | German [[idiomatischer Ausdruck]] | ||
| + | {{dc}} | ||
| + | [[Category:General]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Syntax]][[Category:Semantics]] | ||
[[Category:Expression]] | [[Category:Expression]] | ||
Latest revision as of 16:13, 15 February 2009
An idiom is a complex expression whose meaning cannot be inferred from the meanings of its parts. It is a fixed combination of elements with an idiosyncratic, not (completely) compositional meaning, such as kick the bucket, spill the beans.
Idioms are generally inaccessible for syntactic and/or semantic variation: sentence (ii) cannot mean that some people died last week.
(i) He kicked the bucket last week (ii) * Some buckets were kicked last week
Nevertheless, elements of idioms may sometimes be moved (as in (iii)) or modified (as in (iv)).
(iii) advantagei was taken ti of Bill (iv) he kicked the proverbial bucket
Term properties
The relational adjective is idiomatic.
Origin
This sense of idiom is first attested in the 17th century in English. The word was used earlier in the sense 'own language'.
Link
Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics
Other languages
German idiomatischer Ausdruck
