Luận văn tiếng Anh:A Study on Structural and Semantic Components of Typical English and Vietnamese Idioms = Nghiên cứu thành tố cấu trúc và ngữ nghĩa của mốt số thành ngữ cố định (đặc ngữ) điển hình trong tiếng Anh và tiếng Việt. Doctoral English Linguistics :
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The completion of this dissertation is credited to many people’s contributions and
support. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all most sincerely, knowing
that my thanks are never adequate.
I am greatly indebted to my supervisors Assoc. Prof. Dr. Võ Đại Quang and Assoc.
Prof. Dr. Lê Hùng Tiến for their encouragement, insightful comments and interest in my
study. I would like to thank the staff of Post Graduate Department for their assistance
that has made the finalization of the dissertation possible in a very short time.
My sincere thanks also extend to Prof. Dr. Hoàng Văn Vân, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn
Văn Độ, Dr. Nguyễn Đức Hoạt, and Dr. Nguyễn Văn Trào for their invaluable
suggestions, highly constructive comments on several issues related to the dissertation.
Their willingness to support me, answer my questions, and comment on my dissertation
content and organization has made me more confident to pursue the research in this
challenging area.
I give my sincere thanks to all my students, colleagues and friends who patiently
listened to my frustrations, and provided me with encouragement, understanding and
collegiality.
As custom dictates, I have saved the most important people for last. My gratitude goes
to my mother and father. Their constant love and unconditional support are simply
beyond words. A big thank goes to my wife, Thanh Hà, and my gorgeous son, Bảo
Nam, for their patience, endless love, and devotion. Whatever choices I have made, they
have always stood by me and believed in me. I am immensely thankful for all the
assistance they have given me.
PART A: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………....……….
1. Rationale…………………………………………………………..……..……..
2. Aims and Objectives of the Study………………………………...…..………
3. Research Questions………………………………………………....…………
4. Scope of the Study………………………………………...………….………..
5. Contributions of the Study………………………………...……….…………
6. Methodology………………………………………………..……...…..……….
6.1. Theoretical Framework…………………………………..….……………
6.2. Analytical Framework………………………………...…….…………….
6.3. Data Collection…………………………………………...….……………
6.4. Data Analysis……………………………………………...….…………..
6.5. Procedure………………………………………………...…….………….
7. Structure of the Study………………………………………...…….…………
1
1
3
3
3
3
4
4
7
9
10
12
13
PART B: DEVELOPMENT…………………………………………....………..
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW………………………...….………….
1.1. Theoretical Background………………………………………...…….…….
1.1.1. Idioms Defined…………………………………………...…….……….
1.1.2. Idioms from Traditional View…………………………...…….………..
1.1.3. Idioms from Cognitive View……………………………...…….………
1.1.4. Idioms from Taxonomic View…………………………...…….……….
1.1.5. Idioms from Cultural View……………………………...…….………..
1.1.6. Idioms in the Relationship to Other Linguistic Units………....……...…
1.2. Previous Research………………………………………………....…….…..
1.2.1. Previous Research Works on Idioms in English…………...….…….….
1.2.2. Previous Research Works on Idioms in Vietnamese………..……….….
1.2.3. Previous Research Works on Idioms in English and Vietnamese under
Comparison and Contrastive Analysis………………………………......….…
1.3. Summary……………………………………………………….…….….…...
CHAPTER 2: STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS OF ENGLISH AND
VIETNAMESE IDIOMS…………………………………………...……………
2.1. Canonical Structural Components……………………………...………….
2.1.1. Symmetrical Idioms……………………………………...……………..
2.1.1.1. Realization……………………………………..…..……………
2.1.1.2. Structural Patterns………………………………..….………….
2.1.1.3. Structural Components…………………………....…………….
2.1.2. Similized Idioms……………………………………..……..…………...
2.1.2.1. Realization……………………………………..…..……………
2.1.2.2. Structural Patterns……………………………..…..……………
2.1.2.3. Structural Components………………………..….…….……….
2.1.3. Non-symmetrical idioms…………………………………....…………..
2.1.3.1. Realization……………………………………..…..……………
2.1.3.2. Structural Patterns……………………………..…….………….
2.1.3.3. Structural Components………………………….....……………
2.2. Non-canonical Structural Components………………..…..……………….
2.2.1. Idiom Variants………………………………………….....…………….
2.2.1.1. Realization……………………………………..…..……………
2.2.1.2. Structural Components………………………...…..……………
2.2.2. Synonymous Idioms………………………………..…..……………….
2.2.2.1. Realization……………………………………..…..……………
2.2.2.2. Structural Components…………………………....…………….
2.3. Structural Components of English and Vietnamese Idioms Compared
2.3.1. Similarities……………………………………………..…..……………
2.3.1.1. Canonical Structural Components Found in both Languages…...
2.3.1.2. Non-canonical Structural Components Found in both Languages
2.3.2. Differences…………………………………….…………..……………
2.3.2.1. Canonical Structural Components Unique to English………..…
2.3.2.2. Non-canonical Structural Components Unique to English…......
vi
2.3.2.3. Canonical Structural Components Unique to Vietnamese..…….
2.3.2.4. Non-canonical Structural Components Unique to Vietnamese…
2.4. Summary………………………………………………………..………..…..
CHAPTER 3: SEMANTIC COMPONENTS OF ENGLISH AND
VIETNAMESE IDIOMS………………………………………..……..…..…….
3.1. Canonical Semantic Components………………………………..…..…..…
3.1.1. Semantic Components of Symmetrical Idioms………………....………
3.1.1.1. Motivation Degree of Semantic Components………..…...…….
3.1.1.2. Composition of Semantic Components………………….……...
3.1.2. Semantic Components of Similized Idioms……………………....…….
3.1.2.1. Motivation Degree of Semantic Components………..…..…….
3.1.2.2. Composition of Semantic Components……………..……..…...
3.1.3. Semantic Components of Non-symmetrical Idioms……………....……
3.1.3.1. Motivation Degree of Semantic Components………….....…….
3.1.3.2. Composition of Semantic Components………………….……...
3.2. Non-canonical Semantic Components……………………………...………
3.2.1. Semantic Components of Idiom Variants……………………………….
3.2.1.1. Realization……………………………………………....………
3.2.1.2. Semantic Nuance……………………………………..…..……..
3.2.2. Semantic Components of Synonymous Idioms……………..……..……
3.2.2.1. Realization……………………………………………..…..……
3.2.2.2. Semantic Nuance……………………………………….....…….
3.3. Formation of Semantic Components of Idioms……………………....……
3.3.1. Formation Mechanism……………………………………….…...……..
3.3.2. Main Factors Affecting the Formation of Semantic Components……....
3.3.2.1. Living Circumstance……………………………...…….………
3.3.2.2. Historical Allusion…………………………………....………...
3.3.2.3. Religions and Beliefs………………………………...…………
3.3.2.4. Traditions and Customs……………………………..…..………
3.4. Semantic Components of English and Vietnamese Idioms Compared…..
3.4.1. Similarities……………………………………………....………………
3.4.1.1. Canonical Semantic Components Found in both Languages…....
3.4.1.2. Non-canonical Semantic Components Found in both Languages
3.4.1.3. Formation of semantic components found in both Languages....
3.4.2. Differences…………………………………………………….….…..…
3.4.2.1. Canonical Semantic Components Unique to English……….….
3.4.2.2. Canonical Semantic Components Unique to Vietnamese….......
3.4.2.3. Differences between English and Vietnamese in Terms of Main
Factors that Affect the Formation of Semantic Components…..
3.5. Summary…………………………………………………………………..…
PART C: CONCLUSION…………………………………………….………….
1. Recapitulation……………………………………………………...….……….
2. Conclusions………………………………………………………...…..………
3. Implications for Idiom Teaching and Translation……………...……….…..
4. Suggestions for Further Studies……………………………………....………
REFERENCES………………………………………………………….....……..
APPENDIX 1…………………………………………………………...….……..
APPENDIX 2…………………………………………………………...….……..
APPENDIX 3…………………………………………………….…...…………..
APPENDIX 4………………………………………………………....…………..
An investigation of idioms in English and Vietnamese in terms of structural and
semantic components is carried out in the present study. Componential analysis,
describing, comparing and contrasting are regarded as the main methods used in the
present thesis. The findings of the study are concerned with the similarities and
differences between English and Vietnamese idioms in terms of (1) structural
components, and (2) semantic components and their formation. In order to collect the
data, a hand search approach of the dictionaries in both languages has been conducted,
which helps to establish a corpus of 4,134 idioms in English and 4,053 idioms in
Vietnamese.
In the present study, a common theoretical framework on idioms is applied to both
English and Vietnamese. The canonical structural and semantic components involve
three types of idioms existing in our data: symmetrical, similized, and non-symmetrical
(Đức 1995; Hành 2008). The canonical structural components of each idiom type are
realized, described and analyzed according to grammatical rules suggested by Quirk,
Greenbaum, Leech, & Svartvik (1985). The non-canonical structural components
involve two types of idioms: idiom variants and synonymous idioms.
The semantic components of each idiom type involve the motivation degrees
(transparent, semi-transparent, semi-opaque, and opaque) (Fernando & Flavell 1981;
Fernando 1996), the association between the literal readings and the idiomatic meanings
(Langlotz 2006), and the semantic composition of component parts (Hành 2008). The
findings of the current study also reveal that most of the idioms in both English and
Vietnamese are analyzable and have meanings that are at least partly motivated
(Geeraets 1995; Gibbs 1990, 1995; Kövecses & Szabo 1996; Nunberg et al. 1994;
Fernando 1996; Langlotz 2006; etc). The formation mechanism of the semantic
components of idioms is motivated by external semantic cognition including metaphors,
metonymies and conventional knowledge (Gibbs 1990, 1995). It is a natural process
implicitly affected by several different factors such as living circumstance (geographical
environment, climate), historical allusion (historical events, fables and mythologies,
literary works), religions and beliefs, and traditions and customs (food and cooking,
animals). This leads to a fact that the component parts forming idioms in the two
languages are different although they denote similar concepts. The thesis also presents
the implications for idiom teaching and translation.
Keywords: idioms, idiomaticity, symmetrical idioms, similized idioms, non-symmetrical
idioms, idiom variants, synonymous idioms, underlying factors, motivation degree,
literal reading, idiomatic meaning
PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
‘The accurate and appropriate use of expressions which are in the broadest sense
idiomatic is one distinguishing mark of a native command of the language and a reliable
measure of the proficiency of foreign learners’ (Cowie, Mackin & McCaig 1993: x). In
fact, I started learning English in 1994. And I am now working as a teacher of English
in a university in Sonla. Indeed, my students and I all desire to master English as the
native speakers; nevertheless, we usually face a lot of difficulties that prevent us from
gaining natural conversations. One of the reasons for these problems lies in the way we
perceive and use idioms. The structural and semantic problems posed by idioms puzzle
us a lot. Of all the difficulties the most familiar is that of meaning: most idioms do not
mean what they appear to mean. The sense of the whole idiom is usually different from
the meanings of the combination of its component parts. The study is carried out with
the hope that, to some extent, our problems will be solved.
Actually, studying idioms is not new; nonetheless, it has never been old. In Vietnam,
there exist three approaches in studying idioms: etymology, synchronic evolution, and
comparison and contrastive analysis (Hành 2008). Firstly, the investigations on idioms
under etymology go into macro field. These studies focus on the formation and
transformation of each idiom during its existence. It is hard work taking a lot of time
and energy. The method mainly used in these studies is the etymologizing, i.e. the
origins of idioms are recovered in order to make the forms and the idiomatic meanings
transparent. Hành (2002) and Minh (2007) are the typical authors who pay attention to
this area. The second approach in studying idioms is synchronic evolution. Descriptive
method is used in these studies from which the underlying cultural factors behind the
idioms are partly interpretable. This area of study attracts a lot of authors such as San
(1974), Việt (1981), Lực & Đang (1978), Đức (1995), Hành (2008), etc. Studying
idioms under comparison and contrastive analysis is the third approach. The studies
under original recovery and synchronic evolution are the backgrounds for comparison
and contrastive works. Several attempts have been made to work out the similarities and
differences between English and Vietnamese in terms of emotion expressing idioms
(Trào 2009), idiomatic verb phrases (Long 2010), idiom translation (Lan 2001; Phúc
2009), etc. An in-depth investigation of the structural and semantic components of
idioms will also offer excellent opportunities for cross-language comparison and
analysis.
Structurally, English and Vietnamese are very different. English is regarded as a semi
inflectional language (Crystal 1997) while Vietnamese is completely isolating. It is
interesting, nevertheless, that several idioms in English have the same structural patterns
as those in Vietnamese. For example, like water off a duck’s back in English and như
nước đổ đầu vịt in Vietnamese are both prepositional phrases. It is more interesting that
the idiomatic meanings of the two idioms are also similar, and they are paraphrasable as
‘have no effect’. In terms of structural components, these idioms have both similarities
and differences. They are similized idioms introduced by prepositions as the first
component parts (like in English and như in Vietnamese). The differences lie in the rest
of component parts forming the idioms. The component parts after like in English
together form a noun phrase whereas those after như in Vietnamese together form a
clause. To the best of my knowledge, the structural components of idioms in both
English and Vietnamese have not yet been investigated in this way.
Although the component parts forming idioms expressing the same concepts in English
and Vietnamese are usually different, they have some features in common. The idioms
in both languages appear from totally transparent to the totally opaque: transparent, i.e.
all the components are explicit (e.g. slow but sure in English and bàn đi tính lại (discuss
something carefully) in Vietnamese); semi-transparent, i.e. some components are
explicit (the meaning focused) and the other are implicit (e.g. as busy as a beaver (very
busy) in English and đẹp như tiên (very beautiful) in Vietnamese); semi-opaque, i.e. all
the components are implicit but possibly interpretable (e.g. like a duck to water (feel
comfortable) in English and như chó với mèo (be always conflictive) in Vietnamese);
and opaque, i.e. all the components are implicit (e.g. kick the bucket (die) in English and
đẽo cày giữa đường (be indeterminate in one’s position) in Vietnamese) (Fernando &
Flavell 1981; Fernando 1996). Investigating semantic components of idioms based on
these semantic criteria in both English and Vietnamese is still the gap. In addition, what
main factors lie behind the differences between the two languages in terms of the
formation of semantic components of idioms also need uncovering (Hành 2008).
For the reasons presented above, we state that studying the structural and semantic
components of idioms in both English and Vietnamese in order to fill in the gap in
research is necessary.
2. Aims and Objectives of the Study
The study attempts to find out the similarities and differences between English and
Vietnamese idioms from structural and semantic perspectives.
In order to achieve the aims, the study is expected to reach the following objectives:
- to study how idioms are organized structurally and semantically in English and
Vietnamese;
- to establish the similarities and differences between English and Vietnamese idioms in
terms of structural and semantic components;
- to provide main factors lying behind the similarities and differences between English
and Vietnamese idioms.
3. Research Questions
The objectives of the study can be elaborated into the following research questions:
i) How are idioms in English and Vietnamese organized structurally and semantically?
ii) What are the similarities and differences between English and Vietnamese idioms in
terms of structural and semantic components?
iii) What main factors lie behind the similarities and differences between English and
Vietnamese idioms?
4. Scope of the Study
The present study focuses on everyday idioms selected from recently published
dictionaries (see Section 6.3). All the authors of these works affirm that the idioms in
their books are both current and used, or at least understood, by most native speakers. It
means that the study is deliberately limited to idioms usually used in daily
conversations. It is noteworthy that the study investigates idioms in both English and
Vietnamese from structural and semantic components perspective. The components in
the current inquiry are regarded as elements which are hardly varied and together form a
unit.
5. Contributions of the Study
Scientifically, a common theory on idioms is applied to both English and Vietnamese.
This approach helps to find out the similarities and differences between English and
Vietnamese idioms in terms of structural and semantic components. This is a major
contribution to the knowledge of linguistics in general and that of idioms in particular.
Since language and culture are closely intertwined, the findings will Giúp improve the
knowledge of the two underlying cultures, which are expressed through those idioms.
Practically, for language teaching (both English and Vietnamese), the study facilitates
learners’ communication because language is for communication, and idioms are an
indispensable part of common expressions (Cowie, Mackin & McCaig 1993: x). The
work will provide assistance to English-speaking learners of Vietnamese and
Vietnamese learners of English to distinguish one kind of idioms from others in each
language. The work will also enable learners to tell when idioms in English and
Vietnamese are similar and different, which is likely to be useful for their study.
Language teachers will be aided to Giúp their learners reach this communicative goal
(see Section 3 in Part C). For translation, knowledge of idioms from this work will help
translators find closest equivalents to the expressions in the source language. Idioms and
idiomatic expressions are the most culture-bound part of any language, so their transfer
is one of the most problematic issues in translation. It is because transfer of language
also involves that of culture, which is not always transferable. In this way, knowledge
from this sort of work will be of great benefit to translators, who should be able to find
the possible equivalents in the target language.
6. Methodology
6.1. Theoretical Framework
As presented in Section 4, idioms in the present study are investigated from both
structural and semantic perspectives. According to Katz & Fodor (1963: 170), ‘a full
synchronic description of a language is a grammatical and semantic characterization of
that language’. The term ‘grammatical’ refers to the description of pholology,
phonemics, morphology, and syntax. ‘Semantic’ belongs to a theory which must be
constructed ‘to have whatever properties are demanded by its role in linguistic
description’ (Katz & Fodor 1963: 171).
Structurally, idioms are generally described and analyzed according to typical
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The completion of this dissertation is credited to many people’s contributions and
support. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all most sincerely, knowing
that my thanks are never adequate.
I am greatly indebted to my supervisors Assoc. Prof. Dr. Võ Đại Quang and Assoc.
Prof. Dr. Lê Hùng Tiến for their encouragement, insightful comments and interest in my
study. I would like to thank the staff of Post Graduate Department for their assistance
that has made the finalization of the dissertation possible in a very short time.
My sincere thanks also extend to Prof. Dr. Hoàng Văn Vân, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn
Văn Độ, Dr. Nguyễn Đức Hoạt, and Dr. Nguyễn Văn Trào for their invaluable
suggestions, highly constructive comments on several issues related to the dissertation.
Their willingness to support me, answer my questions, and comment on my dissertation
content and organization has made me more confident to pursue the research in this
challenging area.
I give my sincere thanks to all my students, colleagues and friends who patiently
listened to my frustrations, and provided me with encouragement, understanding and
collegiality.
As custom dictates, I have saved the most important people for last. My gratitude goes
to my mother and father. Their constant love and unconditional support are simply
beyond words. A big thank goes to my wife, Thanh Hà, and my gorgeous son, Bảo
Nam, for their patience, endless love, and devotion. Whatever choices I have made, they
have always stood by me and believed in me. I am immensely thankful for all the
assistance they have given me.
PART A: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………....……….
1. Rationale…………………………………………………………..……..……..
2. Aims and Objectives of the Study………………………………...…..………
3. Research Questions………………………………………………....…………
4. Scope of the Study………………………………………...………….………..
5. Contributions of the Study………………………………...……….…………
6. Methodology………………………………………………..……...…..……….
6.1. Theoretical Framework…………………………………..….……………
6.2. Analytical Framework………………………………...…….…………….
6.3. Data Collection…………………………………………...….……………
6.4. Data Analysis……………………………………………...….…………..
6.5. Procedure………………………………………………...…….………….
7. Structure of the Study………………………………………...…….…………
1
1
3
3
3
3
4
4
7
9
10
12
13
PART B: DEVELOPMENT…………………………………………....………..
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW………………………...….………….
1.1. Theoretical Background………………………………………...…….…….
1.1.1. Idioms Defined…………………………………………...…….……….
1.1.2. Idioms from Traditional View…………………………...…….………..
1.1.3. Idioms from Cognitive View……………………………...…….………
1.1.4. Idioms from Taxonomic View…………………………...…….……….
1.1.5. Idioms from Cultural View……………………………...…….………..
1.1.6. Idioms in the Relationship to Other Linguistic Units………....……...…
1.2. Previous Research………………………………………………....…….…..
1.2.1. Previous Research Works on Idioms in English…………...….…….….
1.2.2. Previous Research Works on Idioms in Vietnamese………..……….….
1.2.3. Previous Research Works on Idioms in English and Vietnamese under
Comparison and Contrastive Analysis………………………………......….…
1.3. Summary……………………………………………………….…….….…...
CHAPTER 2: STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS OF ENGLISH AND
VIETNAMESE IDIOMS…………………………………………...……………
2.1. Canonical Structural Components……………………………...………….
2.1.1. Symmetrical Idioms……………………………………...……………..
2.1.1.1. Realization……………………………………..…..……………
2.1.1.2. Structural Patterns………………………………..….………….
2.1.1.3. Structural Components…………………………....…………….
2.1.2. Similized Idioms……………………………………..……..…………...
2.1.2.1. Realization……………………………………..…..……………
2.1.2.2. Structural Patterns……………………………..…..……………
2.1.2.3. Structural Components………………………..….…….……….
2.1.3. Non-symmetrical idioms…………………………………....…………..
2.1.3.1. Realization……………………………………..…..……………
2.1.3.2. Structural Patterns……………………………..…….………….
2.1.3.3. Structural Components………………………….....……………
2.2. Non-canonical Structural Components………………..…..……………….
2.2.1. Idiom Variants………………………………………….....…………….
2.2.1.1. Realization……………………………………..…..……………
2.2.1.2. Structural Components………………………...…..……………
2.2.2. Synonymous Idioms………………………………..…..……………….
2.2.2.1. Realization……………………………………..…..……………
2.2.2.2. Structural Components…………………………....…………….
2.3. Structural Components of English and Vietnamese Idioms Compared
2.3.1. Similarities……………………………………………..…..……………
2.3.1.1. Canonical Structural Components Found in both Languages…...
2.3.1.2. Non-canonical Structural Components Found in both Languages
2.3.2. Differences…………………………………….…………..……………
2.3.2.1. Canonical Structural Components Unique to English………..…
2.3.2.2. Non-canonical Structural Components Unique to English…......
vi
2.3.2.3. Canonical Structural Components Unique to Vietnamese..…….
2.3.2.4. Non-canonical Structural Components Unique to Vietnamese…
2.4. Summary………………………………………………………..………..…..
CHAPTER 3: SEMANTIC COMPONENTS OF ENGLISH AND
VIETNAMESE IDIOMS………………………………………..……..…..…….
3.1. Canonical Semantic Components………………………………..…..…..…
3.1.1. Semantic Components of Symmetrical Idioms………………....………
3.1.1.1. Motivation Degree of Semantic Components………..…...…….
3.1.1.2. Composition of Semantic Components………………….……...
3.1.2. Semantic Components of Similized Idioms……………………....…….
3.1.2.1. Motivation Degree of Semantic Components………..…..…….
3.1.2.2. Composition of Semantic Components……………..……..…...
3.1.3. Semantic Components of Non-symmetrical Idioms……………....……
3.1.3.1. Motivation Degree of Semantic Components………….....…….
3.1.3.2. Composition of Semantic Components………………….……...
3.2. Non-canonical Semantic Components……………………………...………
3.2.1. Semantic Components of Idiom Variants……………………………….
3.2.1.1. Realization……………………………………………....………
3.2.1.2. Semantic Nuance……………………………………..…..……..
3.2.2. Semantic Components of Synonymous Idioms……………..……..……
3.2.2.1. Realization……………………………………………..…..……
3.2.2.2. Semantic Nuance……………………………………….....…….
3.3. Formation of Semantic Components of Idioms……………………....……
3.3.1. Formation Mechanism……………………………………….…...……..
3.3.2. Main Factors Affecting the Formation of Semantic Components……....
3.3.2.1. Living Circumstance……………………………...…….………
3.3.2.2. Historical Allusion…………………………………....………...
3.3.2.3. Religions and Beliefs………………………………...…………
3.3.2.4. Traditions and Customs……………………………..…..………
3.4. Semantic Components of English and Vietnamese Idioms Compared…..
3.4.1. Similarities……………………………………………....………………
3.4.1.1. Canonical Semantic Components Found in both Languages…....
3.4.1.2. Non-canonical Semantic Components Found in both Languages
3.4.1.3. Formation of semantic components found in both Languages....
3.4.2. Differences…………………………………………………….….…..…
3.4.2.1. Canonical Semantic Components Unique to English……….….
3.4.2.2. Canonical Semantic Components Unique to Vietnamese….......
3.4.2.3. Differences between English and Vietnamese in Terms of Main
Factors that Affect the Formation of Semantic Components…..
3.5. Summary…………………………………………………………………..…
PART C: CONCLUSION…………………………………………….………….
1. Recapitulation……………………………………………………...….……….
2. Conclusions………………………………………………………...…..………
3. Implications for Idiom Teaching and Translation……………...……….…..
4. Suggestions for Further Studies……………………………………....………
REFERENCES………………………………………………………….....……..
APPENDIX 1…………………………………………………………...….……..
APPENDIX 2…………………………………………………………...….……..
APPENDIX 3…………………………………………………….…...…………..
APPENDIX 4………………………………………………………....…………..
An investigation of idioms in English and Vietnamese in terms of structural and
semantic components is carried out in the present study. Componential analysis,
describing, comparing and contrasting are regarded as the main methods used in the
present thesis. The findings of the study are concerned with the similarities and
differences between English and Vietnamese idioms in terms of (1) structural
components, and (2) semantic components and their formation. In order to collect the
data, a hand search approach of the dictionaries in both languages has been conducted,
which helps to establish a corpus of 4,134 idioms in English and 4,053 idioms in
Vietnamese.
In the present study, a common theoretical framework on idioms is applied to both
English and Vietnamese. The canonical structural and semantic components involve
three types of idioms existing in our data: symmetrical, similized, and non-symmetrical
(Đức 1995; Hành 2008). The canonical structural components of each idiom type are
realized, described and analyzed according to grammatical rules suggested by Quirk,
Greenbaum, Leech, & Svartvik (1985). The non-canonical structural components
involve two types of idioms: idiom variants and synonymous idioms.
The semantic components of each idiom type involve the motivation degrees
(transparent, semi-transparent, semi-opaque, and opaque) (Fernando & Flavell 1981;
Fernando 1996), the association between the literal readings and the idiomatic meanings
(Langlotz 2006), and the semantic composition of component parts (Hành 2008). The
findings of the current study also reveal that most of the idioms in both English and
Vietnamese are analyzable and have meanings that are at least partly motivated
(Geeraets 1995; Gibbs 1990, 1995; Kövecses & Szabo 1996; Nunberg et al. 1994;
Fernando 1996; Langlotz 2006; etc). The formation mechanism of the semantic
components of idioms is motivated by external semantic cognition including metaphors,
metonymies and conventional knowledge (Gibbs 1990, 1995). It is a natural process
implicitly affected by several different factors such as living circumstance (geographical
environment, climate), historical allusion (historical events, fables and mythologies,
literary works), religions and beliefs, and traditions and customs (food and cooking,
animals). This leads to a fact that the component parts forming idioms in the two
languages are different although they denote similar concepts. The thesis also presents
the implications for idiom teaching and translation.
Keywords: idioms, idiomaticity, symmetrical idioms, similized idioms, non-symmetrical
idioms, idiom variants, synonymous idioms, underlying factors, motivation degree,
literal reading, idiomatic meaning
PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
‘The accurate and appropriate use of expressions which are in the broadest sense
idiomatic is one distinguishing mark of a native command of the language and a reliable
measure of the proficiency of foreign learners’ (Cowie, Mackin & McCaig 1993: x). In
fact, I started learning English in 1994. And I am now working as a teacher of English
in a university in Sonla. Indeed, my students and I all desire to master English as the
native speakers; nevertheless, we usually face a lot of difficulties that prevent us from
gaining natural conversations. One of the reasons for these problems lies in the way we
perceive and use idioms. The structural and semantic problems posed by idioms puzzle
us a lot. Of all the difficulties the most familiar is that of meaning: most idioms do not
mean what they appear to mean. The sense of the whole idiom is usually different from
the meanings of the combination of its component parts. The study is carried out with
the hope that, to some extent, our problems will be solved.
Actually, studying idioms is not new; nonetheless, it has never been old. In Vietnam,
there exist three approaches in studying idioms: etymology, synchronic evolution, and
comparison and contrastive analysis (Hành 2008). Firstly, the investigations on idioms
under etymology go into macro field. These studies focus on the formation and
transformation of each idiom during its existence. It is hard work taking a lot of time
and energy. The method mainly used in these studies is the etymologizing, i.e. the
origins of idioms are recovered in order to make the forms and the idiomatic meanings
transparent. Hành (2002) and Minh (2007) are the typical authors who pay attention to
this area. The second approach in studying idioms is synchronic evolution. Descriptive
method is used in these studies from which the underlying cultural factors behind the
idioms are partly interpretable. This area of study attracts a lot of authors such as San
(1974), Việt (1981), Lực & Đang (1978), Đức (1995), Hành (2008), etc. Studying
idioms under comparison and contrastive analysis is the third approach. The studies
under original recovery and synchronic evolution are the backgrounds for comparison
and contrastive works. Several attempts have been made to work out the similarities and
differences between English and Vietnamese in terms of emotion expressing idioms
(Trào 2009), idiomatic verb phrases (Long 2010), idiom translation (Lan 2001; Phúc
2009), etc. An in-depth investigation of the structural and semantic components of
idioms will also offer excellent opportunities for cross-language comparison and
analysis.
Structurally, English and Vietnamese are very different. English is regarded as a semi
inflectional language (Crystal 1997) while Vietnamese is completely isolating. It is
interesting, nevertheless, that several idioms in English have the same structural patterns
as those in Vietnamese. For example, like water off a duck’s back in English and như
nước đổ đầu vịt in Vietnamese are both prepositional phrases. It is more interesting that
the idiomatic meanings of the two idioms are also similar, and they are paraphrasable as
‘have no effect’. In terms of structural components, these idioms have both similarities
and differences. They are similized idioms introduced by prepositions as the first
component parts (like in English and như in Vietnamese). The differences lie in the rest
of component parts forming the idioms. The component parts after like in English
together form a noun phrase whereas those after như in Vietnamese together form a
clause. To the best of my knowledge, the structural components of idioms in both
English and Vietnamese have not yet been investigated in this way.
Although the component parts forming idioms expressing the same concepts in English
and Vietnamese are usually different, they have some features in common. The idioms
in both languages appear from totally transparent to the totally opaque: transparent, i.e.
all the components are explicit (e.g. slow but sure in English and bàn đi tính lại (discuss
something carefully) in Vietnamese); semi-transparent, i.e. some components are
explicit (the meaning focused) and the other are implicit (e.g. as busy as a beaver (very
busy) in English and đẹp như tiên (very beautiful) in Vietnamese); semi-opaque, i.e. all
the components are implicit but possibly interpretable (e.g. like a duck to water (feel
comfortable) in English and như chó với mèo (be always conflictive) in Vietnamese);
and opaque, i.e. all the components are implicit (e.g. kick the bucket (die) in English and
đẽo cày giữa đường (be indeterminate in one’s position) in Vietnamese) (Fernando &
Flavell 1981; Fernando 1996). Investigating semantic components of idioms based on
these semantic criteria in both English and Vietnamese is still the gap. In addition, what
main factors lie behind the differences between the two languages in terms of the
formation of semantic components of idioms also need uncovering (Hành 2008).
For the reasons presented above, we state that studying the structural and semantic
components of idioms in both English and Vietnamese in order to fill in the gap in
research is necessary.
2. Aims and Objectives of the Study
The study attempts to find out the similarities and differences between English and
Vietnamese idioms from structural and semantic perspectives.
In order to achieve the aims, the study is expected to reach the following objectives:
- to study how idioms are organized structurally and semantically in English and
Vietnamese;
- to establish the similarities and differences between English and Vietnamese idioms in
terms of structural and semantic components;
- to provide main factors lying behind the similarities and differences between English
and Vietnamese idioms.
3. Research Questions
The objectives of the study can be elaborated into the following research questions:
i) How are idioms in English and Vietnamese organized structurally and semantically?
ii) What are the similarities and differences between English and Vietnamese idioms in
terms of structural and semantic components?
iii) What main factors lie behind the similarities and differences between English and
Vietnamese idioms?
4. Scope of the Study
The present study focuses on everyday idioms selected from recently published
dictionaries (see Section 6.3). All the authors of these works affirm that the idioms in
their books are both current and used, or at least understood, by most native speakers. It
means that the study is deliberately limited to idioms usually used in daily
conversations. It is noteworthy that the study investigates idioms in both English and
Vietnamese from structural and semantic components perspective. The components in
the current inquiry are regarded as elements which are hardly varied and together form a
unit.
5. Contributions of the Study
Scientifically, a common theory on idioms is applied to both English and Vietnamese.
This approach helps to find out the similarities and differences between English and
Vietnamese idioms in terms of structural and semantic components. This is a major
contribution to the knowledge of linguistics in general and that of idioms in particular.
Since language and culture are closely intertwined, the findings will Giúp improve the
knowledge of the two underlying cultures, which are expressed through those idioms.
Practically, for language teaching (both English and Vietnamese), the study facilitates
learners’ communication because language is for communication, and idioms are an
indispensable part of common expressions (Cowie, Mackin & McCaig 1993: x). The
work will provide assistance to English-speaking learners of Vietnamese and
Vietnamese learners of English to distinguish one kind of idioms from others in each
language. The work will also enable learners to tell when idioms in English and
Vietnamese are similar and different, which is likely to be useful for their study.
Language teachers will be aided to Giúp their learners reach this communicative goal
(see Section 3 in Part C). For translation, knowledge of idioms from this work will help
translators find closest equivalents to the expressions in the source language. Idioms and
idiomatic expressions are the most culture-bound part of any language, so their transfer
is one of the most problematic issues in translation. It is because transfer of language
also involves that of culture, which is not always transferable. In this way, knowledge
from this sort of work will be of great benefit to translators, who should be able to find
the possible equivalents in the target language.
6. Methodology
6.1. Theoretical Framework
As presented in Section 4, idioms in the present study are investigated from both
structural and semantic perspectives. According to Katz & Fodor (1963: 170), ‘a full
synchronic description of a language is a grammatical and semantic characterization of
that language’. The term ‘grammatical’ refers to the description of pholology,
phonemics, morphology, and syntax. ‘Semantic’ belongs to a theory which must be
constructed ‘to have whatever properties are demanded by its role in linguistic
description’ (Katz & Fodor 1963: 171).
Structurally, idioms are generally described and analyzed according to typical
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