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THE CONCEPT AND CLASSIFICATION OF PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS IN
THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
Zuvaytova Sarvinoz Nusurkhon qizi
Karshi state university, Foreign languages faculty
Annotation:
This article explores some phraseological units in English, defining their
characteristics and outlining common classification systems. It examines how these fixed
expressions contribute to idiomaticity and cultural understanding within the language.
Key words:
phraseological unit, idiom, lexeme, meaning, equivalent.
The study of the phraseological wealth of the language is widely covered in the works of
Russian and foreign linguists. First of all, let us define the concept of a phraseological unit.
According to A.V. Kunin, phraseological units are stable combinations of lexemes with a fully or
partially reinterpreted meaning. [3:160]. The most general features of phraseological units are
called "linguistic stability, semantic integrity and separateness of design" [2:160].
Scientists have not developed a single principle for classifying phraseological units.
According to the classification of A.V. Kunin, phraseology includes three sections: idiomatics,
ideophraseomatics, and phraseomatics. The idiomatics section includes phraseological unit
proper, or idioms, that is, stable combinations of lexemes with a partially or completely
reinterpreted meaning. From a translation point of view, A.V. Kunin suggests dividing English
phraseological units into two groups:
1) phraseological units that have equivalents in Russian;
2) phraseological units without equivalents.
N.N.Amosova, based on the contextual method of analysis, identifies "unique" formations
of the English language ("idioms" and "phrasemes"), as well as various types of serial and
modeled stable phrases ("usually limited combinations", "grammatical-stylistic constructions",
"phraseoloids", "paremias"), which the author takes beyond phraseology. According to Davis
Thompson's classification, all phraseological units can be divided into three groups:
phraseological combinations, phraseological unities and phraseological fusions. Thompson
proposed one of the most famous and widespread classifications in linguistic science, based on
varying degrees of idiomaticity (lack of motivation) of components in a phraseological unit.
There are three types of phraseological units:
a) Phraseological fusions
Stable combinations, the generalized-integral meaning of which is not derived from the
meaning of their constituent components, that is, is not motivated by them from the point of view
of the current state of vocabulary. Commenting on this group of idioms, it should be noted that
phraseological fusions are absolutely indivisible, indecomposable stable combinations, the
general meaning of which does not depend on the meaning of the words that comprise them:
kick the bucket (colloquial) - to kick the bucket, to die; = to stretch out one's legs in Russian
загнуться, умереть; = протянуть ноги; send smb. to Coventry - to boycott someone, to stop
communicating with someone in Russian бойкотировать кого-либо, прекратить общение с
кем-либо; at bay - cornered, in a hopeless situation in Russian загнанный, в безвыходном
положении; be at smb.'s beck and call - to be always ready to serve; = to be on hand and foot in
Russian готовым к услугам; = быть на побегушках; to rain cats and dogs - to pour like water
(about rain); be all thumbs - to be awkward, clumsy быть неловким, неуклюжим; Kilkenny
cats - mortal enemies in Russian it is translates as смертельные враги.
Phraseological fusions have a number of characteristic features:
1. they may include so-called necroticisms - words that are not used anywhere except in
this fusion, and therefore are incomprehensible from the point of view of the modern language;
2. fusions may include archaisms;
3. they are syntactically indecomposable;
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4. in most cases, it is impossible to rearrange the components in them;
5. they are characterized by impenetrability - they do not allow additional words to be
included in their composition.
b) Phraseological unities
Stable combinations, the generalized-integral meaning of which is partly connected with
the semantics of their components, used in a figurative meaning.
For example:
Swim against the current - that is, to do what is not typical for others, to be in opposition to
others.
Such phraseological units may have "external homonyms", that is, phrases that coincide
with them in composition, used in a direct (non-metaphorical) meaning.
For example:
It was very tiresome as I had to swim against the current - Было очень утомительно
плыть против течения
Unlike phraseological fusions that have lost their figurative meaning in the language,
phraseological unities are always perceived as metaphors or other tropes. Thus, among them we
can distinguish stable comparisons -
To stick like a luch - как банный лист
metaphorical epithets - Mirtal grip - железная, мертвая хватка
Hyperboles - The gold mountain - золотые горы
Pitots- Catch at a straw - попасться на крючок
There are also phraseological unities that are periphrases, that is, descriptive figurative
expressions that replace one word.
For example:
Broad shoulders - косая сажень в плечах
Some phraseological units owe their expressiveness to a pun, a joke, which is their basis.
The hole of the bublik - дырка от бублика
The expressiveness of others is based on the play of antonyms - For example:
Out of the frying pan into the fire - из огня да в полымя
Phraseological units give speech a special expressiveness and a folk-colloquial coloring.
c) Phraseological combinations
Set phrases, the meaning of which is motivated by the semantics of their constituent
components, one of which has a phraseologically related meaning: to lower one's gaze (head), in
the language there are no set phrases to lower one's hand or leg.
The verb – pot up it - meaning - to lower - has a phraseologically related meaning and is
not combined with other words.
Phraseologically related meaning of components of such phraseological units is realized
only in conditions of strictly defined lexical environment.
We say
The Indian summer,
but we will never say
The Indian month, The Indian autumn,
etc. Phraseological combinations often vary.
For example:
Be in one's blood=have something in one's blood быть наследственным
Be (hit, operate, run) on all ( four, six, etc. ) cylinders
Быть в прекрасной форме, работать не покладая рук
This classification of phraseological units is often supplemented by highlighting the so-
called phraseological expressions, which are also stable, but consist of words with free meanings,
that is, they are distinguished by semantic articulation. For example:
To be or not to be - быть или не быть
This group of phraseological units includes catchphrases, proverbs, sayings. Many
phraseological expressions have a fundamentally important syntactic feature: they are not
phrases, but whole sentences. In identifying the fourth, last of the considered, groups of
phraseological units, scientists have not achieved unity and certainty. The differences are
ILMIY VA PROFESSIONAL TA’LIM JARAYONIDA MULOQOT, FAN VA MADANIYATLAR
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explained by the diversity and heterogeneity of the linguistic units themselves, which are
traditionally included in phraseology.
There are also other classifications of phraseological units, which are based on their
general grammatical features. At the same time, traditional classifications of phraseological units,
when identifying subclasses, do not take into account the connection of some idioms with the
communication situation at all.
Thus, one of the most important functions of idioms - the discursive function - has not yet
fallen into the field of view of researchers.
Analysis of the discursive function of idioms presupposes understanding the phenomenon
inherent in phraseological units: the phenomenon of meaning.
References:
1. Амосова Н.Н. Основы английской фразеологии /Н.Н.Амосова. - М.: Просвещение, 1963.
2. И. В. Стилистика современного английского языка: (Стилистика декодирования)
/И.В.Арнольд. - Л., 1973.
3. Кунин А.В. Курс фразеологии современного английского языка. М.: Высш.шк., 1986. –396
с.
4. Кунин В.В. Англо-русский фразеологический словарь /А.В. Кунин. - М., 1997.
