CONTENTS
Introduction…………………………………………………………………….3
Chapter 1. Theoretical Approaches to Understanding the Notion of the Phraseological Unit………………………………………………………….6
1.1 Approaches to understanding phraseology ……………………6
1.2 Ways of forming phraseological units…………………………...9
1.3 Classification principles of phraseological units……………11
Chapter 2. Analysis of Idioms Denoting Colours…………………………….17
2.1 Semantic Analysis of Idioms Denoting Colours……………….17
2.2 Classification of Idioms Denoting Colours…………………….19
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………….30
Summary………………………………………………………………………32
References………………………………………………...……….………….34
There is a great number of idioms denoting colours in English. Red, blue, yellow etc. are not just colours. These are emotions, feelings, memories, reflections, associations. They play a very important role of signs or symbols. Seeing a colour or thinking about colour produces a certain reactions in our mind. If this association is quite stable and regular it becomes a part of the semantic structure of the colour-word.
In the physical world, there are millions of entities, and everything has its colour. Science tells us that colour is the result of interaction between light and human eyes. Human beings have the same physiological mechanism and visual nerve system, the reaction to the stimuli of colours is theoretically identical. For example, red is a warm color, and if a person is exposed to red, he will get palpitation and his blood pressure goes up. In the western culture, “red” usually represents nocturnal, female, secret and ultimately centripetal activity. It symbolizes the mystery of life. It is the color of war, loss of blood and the destructive power of fire and hate. It is a sign of warning. Satan, the Devil, appeared in red. In English, idioms connected with “red” usually have derogative senses, for example: in the red; see red; red-light district; red cent; red eye; red flag; red tape.
1. Антрушина Г.Б., Афанасьева О.В., Морозова Н.Н. Лексикология английского язика. – Дрофа, 2004. – 288с.
2. Арнольд И.В. Лексикология современного английского языка. - М.: Высш. шк., 1986. — 295 с.
3. Верещагин В.М., Костомаров В.Г. Язык и культура. Лингво-страноведение в преподавании русского языка как иностранного. – М.: Рус. яз., 1976. – 248 с.
4. Виноградов В.С. Введение в переводоведение. – М.: Издательство института общего среднего образования РАО, 2001. — 224 с.
5. Гнатюк І.С. Явище подвійної актуалізації фразеологізму // Мовознавство. – 1981. – №1. – С.75-78.
6. Жуков В.П. Русская фразеология. – М.: Высшая школа, 1986. – 309 с.
7. Зорівчак Р.П. Фразеологічна одиниця як перекладознавча категорія. – Л.: ЛДУ, 1983. – 174 с.
8. Їжакевич Г.П. Стилістична класифікація фразеологізмів. // Укр.мова і літ. В школі. – 1971. – №10. – С. 13-21.
9. Кунин А.В. Английская фразеологія. – М.: Высшая школа, 1970. – 342 с.
10. Кунин А.В. Курс фразеологии современного английского языка. – М.: Высшая школа, 1986. – 336 с.
11. Скрипник Л.Р. Фразеологія української мови. – К.: "Наукова думка", 1973. – 280 с.
12. Словник української мови: В 11 т. / Редкол.: І.К. Білодід (голова) та інші. – К.: "Наукова думка", 1970 – 1980. – Т. 1-11.
13. Cмирницкий А.И. Синтаксис английского языка. – Москва, 1957. – 263с.
14. Смит Л.П. Фразеология английского языка. – М.: Учпедгиз, 1959. – 208 с.
15. Cпиерс Р.А. Словарь американских идиом. – М.: Рус. яз., 1991. – 464с.
16. Сытель В. В. Разговорные английские идиомы. - М., «Про-свещение», 1971. - 128 с.
17. Шанский Н.М. Лексикология современного русского языка. – М., 1964. – 273 с.
18. Сambridge International Dictionary of Idioms. – Cambridge university press, 1998. – 587p.
19. Collins V.H. A book of English idioms. – Leningrad, 1960. – 258p.
20. Ginsburg R.S., Khidekel S.S., Knyazeva G.Y., Sankin A.A. A course in modern English lexicology. - Moscow, 1979. – 269p.
21. Nida E.A. A componential analysis of meaning / Approaches to semiotics. – The Hauge-Paris: Mouton, 1975, vd.57. – 272 p.
22. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. – Oxford university press, 2007. – 685p.
23. Rayevska N. English lexicology. – Kyiv, 1957. – 170p.
24. Soloshenko O.D., Zavhorodniev J.A. Lecture notes on English Lexicology. –Lviv: Ivan Franko Lviv State University, 1998. – 225 p.
25. http://www.colormatters.com/research/ColorAssociations.pdf
26. http://www.linguist.org.cn/doc/su200710/su20071017.pdf
27. http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/cat/2.html
28. http://www.idiomconnection.com/color.html#A7
29. http://www.abiturient.biz/Lx-formingPr-Units.html
English is so widely spoken that it has often been referred to as a "world language". While English is not an official language in most countries, it is currently the language most often taught as a foreign language around the world. A good knowledge of the language is impossible without studying phraseology.
Phraseology is a universal language phenomenon, which is presented in all levels of a language. It studies such collocations of words, where the meaning of the whole collocation is different from the simple sum of literal meanings of the words, comprising a phraseological unit.
One of the keys to speaking like a native is the ability to use and understand casual expressions, or idioms. English is full of idioms. People use them all the time in everyday conversations. There are also many idioms in books, newspapers, magazines, TV shows, and on the Internet. In standard spoken and written English today idiom is an established, universal and essential element that, used with care, ornaments and enriches the language. The habit of using idioms makes the speech less awkward, less foreign. The knowledge of phraseological units helps to understand what you read and hear.
The general purpose of the paper was to check earlier observations on the phraseological units, to obtain new information and analyse idioms denoting colours.
Idioms are fixed phrases that go through the test of history and cannot be treated separately, they are a kind of language that Britain and America use to express their ideas. An English idiom is a group of words with a special meaning different from the meaning of its constituent words. Most of these idiomatic expressions are phrases of two or more words that function as a unit of meaning and must be learned as a whole.
In English-speaking countries, idioms are heard and read everywhere from debates to everyday conversations. A good mastery of idioms becomes a significant symbol of a person’s command of the language. However, because of a low level of linguistic competence in the target language, people who learn English as a second language are at a distinct in understanding idioms. We must know the origins of English idioms so that we can learn English well.
