习语来源.doc

习语来源 The Origin of English Idioms(2011-07-14 16:15:46)转载▼标签： 杂谈 Abstract Language plays a very important role in culture because it is the way to maintain, transmit and reflect culture. In terms of culture, it shows national features of different countries. So there is a very close relation between culture and language. As we all know idiom is a very important part of language and it shows plentiful culture, custom and lifestyle of a country. Therefore studying the origin of English idioms is very helpful for us to study idioms, learn a national culture and improve our language skills. Key words：idiom; culture; history; geographical conditions; customs; religion; literary works; entertainment Ⅰ.Introduction Compared with other language components, idiom is a typical language. It consists of plentiful social and cultural meanings. Webster’s New Dictionary of the American Language, 2nd college edition gives a definition of idioms as “an accepted phrase, construction, or expression contrary to the usual patterns of the language or having a meaning different from the language or having a meaning different from the literal”. According to the latest Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 3rd Edition, “Idiom is a phrase, construction or expression that is recognized as a unit in the usage of a given language and either differs from the usual syntactic patterns or has a meaning that differs from the literal meaning of its parts taken together.” Generally speaking, idiom consists of phrases and short sentences, which are peculiar to the language in question and loaded with the native cultures and ideas. Except the definition, idiom also includes proverbs, maxims and famous phrases, even some slang. The distinguishing features of idiom are related to the various sources. There are many idioms which refer to different environments in western and eastern countries and some idioms are created from literal works. Besides, the living habits are also reflected. Therefore, a goo