![]() ![]() Getting back to the original question: why on earth do we communicate like this? And people everywhere on earth do – all cultures use forms of non-literal language. However they aren't too important, the main point is that idioms and other stock expressions aren't peripheral language oddities – they are central to how we communicate. The specifics get quite technical (it is all about compositionality, what is held in memory and how sentences are constructed). Chomsky's view of language evolution, based on his word-centric, rule-driven generative grammar model of language can't explain some of the observable properties of idiom use. ![]() Other titans of the field, such as Pinker, believe language is like any other complex faculty and that it was directly selected for. They believe it's an accidental byproduct of other evolved changes, like increase in brain size. Surprisingly, heavyweights like Noam Chomsky believe that language isn't directly a result of natural selection. Idioms turn out to be a crucial piece of evidence in the heated and ongoing debate about the evolution of language. Linguists such as Steven Pinker believe we have as many idioms and stock phrases in our long-term memory as we have words. They are cryptic language puzzles, solvable only if you already know the answer in advance.ĭespite being illogical and idiotic, idioms are emerging as being much more important to language than previously thought. Similarly, idioms are a form of private expression. The original meaning of an idiot was someone not interested in public affairs (considered a key duty in ancient Athens and perhaps a notion we should revive in modern democracies). The words idiom and idiot come from the same root: "idios" which in ancient Greek meant "of one's own" or "private". Idioms are curious turns of phrase that require a sudden turn of meaning.Īs well as being illogical, idioms are idiotic. Then the word "bucket" comes along and bang, you have to quickly (and non-consciously) substitute the idiomatic meaning. There you are hearing someone say "he kicked the" which up to that point could be an ordinary literal expression. What a bizarrely illogical way to communicate. The definition of an idiom is a phrase whose meaning isn't clear from the words in it. Onions should grow in your navel: a mild insult (Yiddish).īrew tea from dirt under another's fingernails: to learn a bitter lesson (Japanese).īelch smoke from the seven orifices of the head: to be furious (Chinese). To think one is the last suck of the mango: to be conceited (South American Spanish). When the crayfish sings in the mountain: never (Russian).Ĭleaner than a frog's armpit: to be poor, broke (Spanish). To reheat cabbage: to rekindle an old flame (Italian). To seize the moon by the teeth: attempt the impossible (French). ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |