Yp1-03(2) Idioms: Motivation and Etymology Dmitrij Dobrovol’skij and Elisabeth Piirainen Abstract

YP1-03(2)

Idioms: Motivation and Etymology

Dmitrij Dobrovol’skij and Elisabeth Piirainen

Abstract

One of the questions in idiom research is the extent the image component of a figurative idiom fixed in its inner form reaches into its lexicalized meaning and consequently its pragmatics. This paper explores two hypotheses: that traces of the image component of idiom semantics can have an effect on the usage of the given idiom, and that, in certain cases, its etymology (as a contributor to its imagery) can thus influence an idiom’s usage conditions. To test these hypotheses we will use data drawn from large text corpora.

Keywords: idiom motivation, etymology of idioms, image component, intertextuality, usage restrictions