5. Phraseology

Phraseology is a branch of linguistics which studies different types of set expressions, which like words name various objects and phenomena. They exist in the language as ready-made units. The term "phraseological unit" to denote set expressions or certain groups of set expressions was introduced by Vinogradov, who attempted to work out a reliable criterion to distinguish free word-groups from set expressions.

Traditionally phraseological units are defined as non-motivated word-groups that cannot be freely made up in speech, but are reproduced as ready-made units. It is a group of words whose meaning cannot be deduced by examining the meaning of the constituent lexemes. The essential features of phraseological units are

1. lack of motivation

2. stability of the lex. comp-nts.

The Eng. Lang. contains lots of such expressions, e.g. one's cup of tea. There are diff. classificaitions of phras. units.

1. Semantic classif by Vinog. He described phras. units as lexical complexes which cannot be freely made up in speech, but are reproduced as ready-made units. The classification is based on the motivation of the unit.

1. phras. fusions are units whose meaning cannot be deduced from the meanings of their component parts. e.g. red tape (burocratism).

2. phras. unities are exp-ns the mean. of which can be deduced. e.g to show one's teeth

3. phras. combin-ns are trad-nal word groups. Word combin-ns are combined with their orig. meaning, e.g. to break news.

3. Structural classification (Smirnitsky). He described them as highly idiomatic set exp-ns functioning as word equivalents, and charac-zed by their semantic and gram-cal unity.

1. tradit-al phrases (rough sketch);

2. phras. comb-ns (to fall in love, to get up);

3. idioms (to wash one's dirty linen in public).

4. Func-nal classif. (Arnold) is based on their functioning in the language as word equiv-ts. Phras. units are subdiv. into:

1)noun equiv.:(maiden name),

2)verb equiv.:(take advantage),

3)adjective equiv.:(high and mighty),

4)adverb equiv.:(by heart),

5)units=prepos-ns:(in consequence of);

6)units=interj-ns:Take your time!

5. Contextual clas. (Amosova). She considers phras. units to be units of fixed context: phrasemes and idioms.

Phrasemes - two-member word-groups in which one of the memb. has a particular meaning dependent on the 2nd compon. as it is found only in the given context, e.g. in small hours.

Idioms are disting-ed from phrasemes by the idiomaticity of the whole word-group. e.g. red tape-bureaucratic methods.

6. Kunin's strucural-semantic classif.He thinks that phraseology is an independent branch of linguistics and not a part of lexicology. He divides set expressions into phras. units, phraseomatic units and mixed cases. The main distinction b/w the 1st and the 2nd classes is semantic: phras.units have fully or partly transferred mean-g while phraseomatic are used in their literal meaning. Phraseol. and phraseom. units are charac-zed by phraseol. stability that distinguishes them from free phrases. The theory of stability is a complex notion that consists of the fol.aspects:

(1) Stabil. of usage (reprod. ready-made);

(2)Lexical stab. means that the components are either irreplaceable (e.g. red tape) or partially repl. (a skeleton in the cupboard/closet);

(3) Semantic stab. is based on the lexical stab. The meaning of a phras. unit is preserved.

(4)Syntactic stab.

Kunin considers that any set expression that lacks one of these aspects of stab. cannot be regarded as a phras. unit. He gives the foll. defin. of a phras. unit: a phras. unit is a stable word group with wholly or part. transferred mean. Phras. units are subdiv. into 4 classes accord. to the func. in commun-tion:

1)nominative, standing for certain notions, e.g. a butt in a china shop;

2)nomin.-communic.,for certain notions in the Act. voice, and may be used in Pass.:to cross the Rubicon-the Rubicon is crossed;

3)interj-nal – standing for certain interj-ns, e.g. A pretty kettle of fish!

4)Communic. for certain sentences (proverbs and sayings): The world is a small place.