2. Semantic structure of idioms of the conceptual field “colours” in the
English and Russian linguoculteremes.
Phraseological units which part the name of color is are interesting. Our everyday
life is full of various flowers. Different colors differently influence a human soul -
inspire or oppress, give rise to feeling of heat or a cool. Values of flowers in many
languages, especially European, have similarities, and it facilitates their
understanding. But there are also differences in the use of flowers in idioms and
phraseological units. We will stop on value of black color in the English and
Russian idiomatic expressions. At most of the people the attitude towards black
color is similar. And it is easy to understand it, black color is color of night. From
here and communication of black color with the evil. Both in the Russian
phraseological units, and in the English idioms, black color has values bad, angry
in such expressions "как чѐрная неблагодарность", "to put on a blacklist"
("занести в чѐрный список"), "black looks" ("злые взгляды"), "a black dog"
("дурное настроение"), "black in the face" ("почернеть от злости"). Black color
matters also "dirty", it is visible on the example of the English idiom of "black as
ink" (чѐрный как сажа). The value of black color of magic is observed both in
English and in the Russian phraseological units of "black art" ("чѐрная магия",
"тѐмные дела"). Value arrived in business of "in the black" – "быть в прибыли".
Red color in phraseological units of both languages has both similarities, and
difference in values. It occurs in the Russian phraseological units in such values as
beautiful, for example, "красная девица"; хороший, погожий, for example,
"красный денѐк"; остроумие - "красное словцо". In the English idioms red color
matters danger more often, for example, "to see the red light", "a red-light district"
("dangerous area"), "to be caught red handed" – to be overtaken on the crime
scene. Red color in the English idioms and the Russian phraseological units in
value of confusion, shame coincides. For example, "покраснеть как рак",
"краснеть до корней", "as red as a turkey cock" and "as red as a lobster".
Green
color in phraseological units often is associated with the nature which woke up
from a dream. Thus, expressions of "to have green fingers" (literally "to have green
fingers"), and "as green as grass" are transferred as "the inexperienced person".
The value freedom is present as at the Russian phraseological unit "зелѐная
улица" ("a free way"), and at the English idiom of "the green light" (freedom of
action). To the Russian expression "позеленеть от зависти" there corresponds "to
turn green with envy".
In English there are a lot of idioms with blue color which
general meaning "grieve". The following expressions are an example: "the blues"
("melancholy", "melancholy"), "to give someone blue" ("to grieve someone"),
"dark blue" ("suppressed"), "to be in the blues" ("to be depressed"), "blue study"
("heavy thoughts"), "blue devils" ("despondency"). At Russian there is only a
small amount of phraseological units with blue color, and their values are various.
So, expression "голубая кровь" means accessory to a noble family; "синь порох в
глазу" - the dearest, loved one; "синяя птица" matters happiness. It is interesting
to note that the Russian expression "синий чулок" which is used in negative value
the person absorbed by book, scientific interests, not interested in anything
another. Also serves as a symbol of impersonality, lack of femininity, charm in
English, for the real woman of "blue stocking".
Phraseological units and idioms
with gray color aren't numerous and designate generally "modesty", "mystery". So
expression of "grey eminence" ("eminence grise") means the person who is in a
shadow, and "серая мышка" – the modest, not allocated person. Gray color means
also old age and wisdom: "a greybeard" (old man), "grey hairs" (old age), "to turn
grey" (to turn gray).
On the contrary, with white color there is a large number of
idioms and phraseological units as in Russian in English. So white color as color of
pure thoughts is shown in idioms: "to be whiter than white" - "to be extremely
honest, moral"; "lily-white reputation" - "spotless reputation"; "white hands" -
"honesty, immaculacy, innocence"; "white lie" - "a lie for the good".
White color is
associated also with something not studied, unexplored. In Russian exist a
phraseological unit "a white spot" (not studied or low-experienced territory). White
– color of nobility, eminence, greatness. Perhaps, therefore in Russian there is an
expression "белая кость" that means the person of notable origin.
In white, we can
observe negative values. English idioms ("to be white-hot" - "to be angry, brought
to white punishment," "white feather" - "coward," "white elephant" - "senseless,
useless thing," "to bleed white" - "rob to the thread," "pump out money") and
Russian phraseologisms ("things like soot white"; "sewn with white threads")
clearly demonstrate negative values of white color.
In Russian, we are talking
about a person who stands out sharply among the people around him - "white
crow," the English version - "white crow. "White also has a neutral meaning:
"white flies" - falling snow, "white light" - reality surrounding us; earth, world,
universe; living with all the joys and sorrows.
From the examples given, it can be seen that white in English idioms and Russian
phraseologisms mainly finds the same meaning and very often reflects positive
emotions. Pink idioms are present in English, in the meaning of good health, for
example, "in the pink" and "the pink of perfection" in the meaning of "top of
perfection," "to be tickled pink" - "to be beside yourself with happiness," "to be
in/have a purple patch" - "to have a streak of luck, luck." In Russian, the
expression "pink glasses" is used when it comes to a person who does not notice
much and the world seems perfect to him. Phraseologisms and idiom with yellow
are equally rare in both Russian and English. Russian phraseology "yellow-
throated chick" is used in speech when they mean a young, naive and
inexperienced person. In English phraseology "to have a yellow streak" we are
talking about a cowardly, timid person. "Yellow papers" ("yellow pages") - news
and gossip press. In Russian - "yellow press" (low-quality press). Brown is also
rare in English idioms and is not present in Russian phraseologisms. For example,
"as brown as a berry" in the literal translation "brown as a berry," this is how they
say about a person who is very tanned. Brown is considered a symbol of
despondency and depression. This confirms the phraseologism of "brown study"
(deep thought, gloomy mood). We found out that purple is used only in the idioms
of the English language. This color has a value of "best." For example, "to be born
into the purple" - "to be born into a rich family," "to be a noble family"; "to marry
into the purple" - "to marry a member of the royal or aristocratic family." The
comparative analysis makes it possible to conclude that in English and Russian
there are many idioms and phraseologisms with the use of color, but not all colors
were reflected in Russian. Both in Russian and in English. We found a small
number of phraseologisms and idioms with pink, yellow colors. There are a large
number of phraseologisms and idioms with white, red, green, black, blue (blue)
colors. Similarity in color values is observed by the use of black, green.
Differences in values are present in the use of gray, yellow, pink colors. Both
similarities and differences are observed in the use of white, red, blue (blue) colors.
Thus, our hypothesis about the existence of similarities and differences in the use
of colors in English idioms and Russian phraseologisms was confirmed.
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