INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL FOR
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
SJIF 2019: 5.222 2020: 5.552 2021: 5.637 2022:5.479 2023:6.563 2024: 7,805
eISSN :2394-6334 https://www.ijmrd.in/index.php/imjrd Volume 12, issue 05 (2025)
41
LINGUO-PRAGMATIC FEATURES OF IDIOMS WITH AGE-RELATED SEMANTICS
IN ENGLISH
Sabina Feyruzxanovna Xamrakulova
EFL teacher of Fergana state technical university
E-mail:
Dildora Baxtiyorovna Maxkamova
EFL teacher of Fergana state technical university
E-mail:
Abstract:
This article investigates the linguo-pragmatic features of English idioms with age-
related semantics. Drawing on corpus data, idiom dictionaries, and literary examples, the study
explores the pragmatic functions of these expressions as tools for evaluation, categorization, and
representation of age characteristics. Special attention is paid to their role in shaping cultural
stereotypes, their pragmatic markedness, and their functions in both everyday and literary
communication. The findings contribute to our understanding of how language reflects cultural
attitudes toward aging, youth, maturity, and the life cycle.
Keywords:
idioms, age semantics, linguo-pragmatics, English language, stereotype, pragmatic
function.
1. Introduction
Idioms are integral to language, encapsulating cultural knowledge, social expectations, and
collective experience. Among idioms, those related to age offer insight into how societies
conceptualize human development, social roles, and life transitions. English idioms with age-
related semantics serve as linguistic markers that not only describe biological aging but also
convey attitudes, judgments, and stereotypes.
This article aims to analyze the linguo-pragmatic features of such idioms, focusing on their
functions in discourse, their role in shaping stereotypes, and their pragmatic markedness. The
study is situated within the broader context of cognitive linguistics, pragmatics, and cultural
linguistics.
2. Theoretical Background
2.1 Linguo-pragmatics and idioms
Linguo-pragmatics examines the interaction between language and context, focusing on how
linguistic forms fulfill communicative purposes (Leech, 1983; Norrick, 1985). Idioms, as fixed
multi-word expressions, are pragmatically potent—they encode speaker attitudes, social norms,
and cultural frames (Nunberg et al., 1994; Fernando, 1996). Their comprehension relies on shared
cultural knowledge and context-sensitive interpretation.
2.2 Age as a semantic and cultural category
Age is a universal but culturally mediated category. Idioms with age semantics draw on
metaphorical imagery (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980), cultural frames, and social stereotypes
(Kövecses, 2002; Wierzbicka, 2006). They function not only as descriptors but as evaluative and
identity-forming tools, reflecting societal attitudes toward youth, maturity, and aging.
3. Materials and Methodology
The study employs a mixed-method approach:
INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL FOR
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
SJIF 2019: 5.222 2020: 5.552 2021: 5.637 2022:5.479 2023:6.563 2024: 7,805
eISSN :2394-6334 https://www.ijmrd.in/index.php/imjrd Volume 12, issue 05 (2025)
42
Data sources
: British National Corpus (BNC), Corpus of Contemporary American
English (COCA), idiom dictionaries (Ammer, 2013; Spears, 2015), literary texts (e.g.,
Dickens, Austen, Twain), and authentic media samples.
Analytical framework
: qualitative analysis of pragmatic functions and connotations,
complemented by quantitative observations on idiom frequency and distribution.
Focus
: identification of age-related idioms, analysis of their pragmatic roles, and
examination of their cultural embedding.
4
.
Analysis and Discussion
4.1 Classification of age-related idioms
Idioms are grouped into three main age stages:
Childhood and youth
o
wet behind the ears
(inexperienced)
o
greenhorn
(novice)
o
no spring chicken
(not young anymore)
Adulthood and maturity
o
in the prime of life
o
at the height of one’s powers
o
old hand
(experienced person)
Old age
o
over the hill
(past one’s prime)
o
long in the tooth
(old)
o
twilight years
(final years)
o
you can’t teach an old dog new tricks
(resistance to change)
4.2 Pragmatic functions
Age-related idioms fulfill various pragmatic functions:
Evaluation and judgment
: Express approval or disapproval (e.g.,
over the hill
implies
decline;
wise old owl
suggests respect).
Categorization and life-staging
: Mark social or biological stages (e.g.,
coming of age
).
Representation and stereotyping
: Reinforce or challenge cultural norms (e.g.,
no spring
chicken
pokes fun at aging;
in the prime of life
idealizes maturity).
Humor and mitigation
: Soften criticism or tease playfully (e.g.,
still wet behind the ears
).
4.3 Pragmatic markedness
Idioms vary in pragmatic markedness:
Pejorative
:
doddering old fool
,
ancient relic
,
over the hill
Meliorative
:
wise old owl
,
aged to perfection
,
full of years
Neutral
:
middle-aged spread
,
twilight years
Markedness often shifts with context. For example,
old hand
can signal expertise in a work
context but imply obsolescence in informal settings.
4.4 Idioms in literature
Literary texts illustrate idioms’ emotional and stylistic power:
Charles Dickens,
Great Expectations
: “I’m a man of sixty, but I still have my wits about
me.”
Jane Austen,
Emma
: “In the autumn of life, one must harvest joys with care.”
INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL FOR
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
SJIF 2019: 5.222 2020: 5.552 2021: 5.637 2022:5.479 2023:6.563 2024: 7,805
eISSN :2394-6334 https://www.ijmrd.in/index.php/imjrd Volume 12, issue 05 (2025)
43
Mark Twain,
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
: “Pap was old, but he wasn’t wise;
just mean and used-up.”
These examples reveal how idioms enrich character development and convey social commentary.
4.5 Corpus findings
Over the hill
and
long in the tooth
occur most frequently in media and informal discourse.
Twilight years
is more common in literary and formal registers.
Youth idioms like
greenhorn
are declining in frequency, while
no spring chicken
remains
robust.
5. Cross-Cultural Perspectives
Compared to English, Russian and Uzbek idioms often emphasize social roles and wisdom in old
age:
Russian:
седина в бороду, бес в ребро
(“gray in beard, devil in ribs” → mischievous
older man)
Uzbek:
ko‘pni ko‘rgan boboy
(“old man who has seen a lot” → respected elder)
English idioms tend to foreground individual physical and cognitive decline, reflecting a more
individualistic and sometimes ageist perspective.
6. Conclusion
English idioms with age-related semantics function as potent pragmalinguistic devices, shaping
social perception, evaluating behavior, and reinforcing or challenging stereotypes. They serve
multiple functions—evaluative, categorial, representational, humorous—and exhibit varying
pragmatic markedness. Understanding these idioms enriches our grasp of the cultural scripts
underlying language use and highlights the interaction between language, cognition, and society.
Future research should focus on:
Empirical corpus studies across genres and registers
Cross-linguistic comparisons of age idioms
The evolution of age idioms in contemporary discourse
References
1. Ammer, C. (2013).
The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms
(2nd ed.). Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt.
2. BNC Consortium. (2007).
The British National Corpus, version 3 (BNC XML Edition)
. Oxford
University Computing Services.
3. Khamrakulova, S. A. B. I. N. A., & Zokirov, M. T. (2022). Phraseological units expressing old
age of a human being in the English and Russian languages. ISJ Theoretical & Applied Science,
1(105), 280-283.
4. Хамракулова, С. (2024). СОПОСТАВЛЕНИЕ ФРАЗЕОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ ЕДИНИЦ,
ОБОЗНАЧАЮЩИХ ЮНОШЕСКИЙ ВОЗРАСТ И МОЛОДОСТЬ В УЗБЕКСКОМ И
РУССКОМ ЯЗЫКАХ. Theoretical aspects in the formation of pedagogical sciences, 3(6), 86-90.
5. Хамракулова, С. Ф. (2024). СОПОСТАВИТЕЛЬНЫЙ АНАЛИЗ ФРАЗЕОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ
ЕДИНИЦ. ВЫРАЖАЮЩИХ ВОЗРАСТ ЧЕЛОВЕКА В УЗБЕКСКОМ И РУССКОМ
INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL FOR
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
SJIF 2019: 5.222 2020: 5.552 2021: 5.637 2022:5.479 2023:6.563 2024: 7,805
eISSN :2394-6334 https://www.ijmrd.in/index.php/imjrd Volume 12, issue 05 (2025)
44
ЯЗЫКАХ.«MODERN PHILOLOGICAL PARADIGMS: INTERACTION OF TRADITIONS
AND INNOVATIONS, 4(25.04), 871-874.
6. Maxkamova, D., & Obidova, G. (2022). EXPRESSION OF “RESPECT” DURING ONLINE
LESSONS ВЫРАЖЕНИЕ “УВАЖЕНИЯ” ВО ВРЕМЯ ОНЛАЙН-УРОКОВ ONLAYN
DARSLAR DAVOMIDA “HURMAT” IFODASI. Journal of Integrated Education and Research,
1(1), 454-458.
7. Ismoilov, M. M., Obidova, G., Juraeva, M., Meliqo'ziev, A., Maxkamova, D., & Toshpo'latova,
M. (2024, November). Calculation of geometric dimensions and hydrodynamic characteristics of
venturi pipes of a self-draining solar circuit. In E3S Web of Conferences (Vol. 508, p. 06002).
EDP Sciences.
8. Baxtiyorovna, M. D. (2022). Language units in English and Uzbek to express “respect” in
classroom and in educational process.
