Phraseology

Phraseology – is a branch of lexicology which studies word combinations

terms for groups of words: set expressions, phrases, phraseological units, idioms, collocations.

Phraseological units - word groups which are not motivated, comparatively stable and semantically inseparable; in other languages other words are used for the same phenomenon: Indian summer – бабье лето.

Phraseological fusions - word groups which are completely non-motivated, stab le, inseparable: to kick the bucket, to rain cats and dogs, a fly in the ointment.

Phraseological unities - word groups which are partially motivated, often have metaphorical mg: to wash the dirty linen in the public, to whip the dead horse.

Phraseological collocations - word groups which are motivated, partially interchangeable; made of words with restricted lexical valency, which provides some extent of lexical stability: To come to the conclusion (to reach but not to go, to arrive) to produce the impression (to make, but not to produce the opinion, point of view), to take a liking (fancy, but not hatred).

Lexicalization is the process when a word group transforms into a phraseological unit or compound word: O.E. in stede > instead; mother-in-law, grown-up.

Americanism - a wd or a wd combination peculiar to the English language spoken in the USA. E.g. cookie, elevator, truck, apartment etc.