Phraseology lecture 13 phraseology and phraseological units

The characteristic features of phraseological units are:

• ready-made reproduction,
• structural divisibility,
• morphological stability,
• permanence of lexical composition,
• semantic unity,
• syntactic fixity.

Prof. A.V. Koonin’ definition: ‘a phraseplogical unit is a stable word-group with wholly or partially transferred meaning.’

• Phraseological units are subdivided into 4 classes according to the function in communication determined by structural-semantic characteristics.

Functional classification

• nominative phraseplogical units, standing for certain notions: a bull in a china shop;
• nominative-communicative phraseplogical units, standing for certain notions in the Active voice, and may be used in Passive constructions: to cross the Rubicon – the Rubicon is crossed!
• interjectional phraseplogical units, standing for certain notions interjections: a pretty (nice) kettle of fish! For crying out loud!
• Communicative phraseological units standing for sentences (proverbs and sayings): Still waters run deep. The world is a nice place.

Communicative phraseological units, expressing statement:

• A proverb is a collection of words (phrase or sentence that states a general truth or gives advice:
• Idleness is the root of all evil.
• A penny saved is a penny gained.
• The pen is mightier than the sword.
• Ask no questions, hear no lies.
• Silence is something an answer.

Distinctive features of proverbs:

• Structural dissimilarity
• (cf: George liked her for she never put on airs (predicate).
• Big bugs like him care nothing about small fry like ourselves (a) subject, b) prepositional object).
• Proverbs, if viewed in their structural aspect, are sentences, and so cannot be used in the way in which phraseological units are used in the above examples.