What is an idiom? discuss idioms as part of a culture using appropriate examples?
Answers
As in every language, there are idioms in every culture. Culture is characteristic of a nation. Culture represents traditions and customs specific to that nation. There are cultural idioms specific to each nation as well as cultures specific to each nation. Cultural idioms express the values of the nation to which they belong. Looking at these cultural expressions, we can have more or less ideas about those folks. Therefore, cultural idioms, such as idioms that exist in every subject, have an important place in our lives.
Answer:
Idiomatic expressions are curious in their function within language as they mean more than what each word denotes. Even if idioms are metaphorical and figurative, once understood they serve as a palpable and distinct feature of any language. They allow the speaker to express themselves, articulating certain sentiments without explicitly saying so. Furthermore, they offer cultural understandings into societal standards, principles, and beliefs. Idioms allow us insight into the thoughts, emotions, and views of the speaker’s background. Language and culture are inextricably connected. Let’s examine three familiar English adages.
Common English Idioms
Burning the midnight oil is one such expression. It means to work late into the night long before the advent of electric lighting. One would elucubrate or do a thing by lamplight. Perhaps the origin is ambiguous for some, but the implication is crystal clear. At some point in our lives, either for work or school, many of us have burned the midnight oil, cramming for that final, writing until dawn, or tweaking that pitch until perfection.
Another, to feel under the weather can trace its roots back to the seas. The nautical origins could allude to a time when a sailor was ill or sick; they were sent below deck to seek protection from the elements to recover. The sailor was literally under the weather. In time, we now understand that one is not feeling well when they are under the weather.
The idiom It’s is all Greek to me might be interesting to explain to a Greek. However, English speakers recognize that it expresses something that is not easily understandable. Interestingly, the origin comes from Medieval Latin scribes who had trouble translating Ancient Greek. Shakespeare guaranteed its crossover into the mainstream with his writings, and centuries later we still use it. If one wonders what the Greeks might say in comparable circumstances: this strikes me as Chinese