PHRASEOLOGY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

POINTS FOR DISCUSSION:
The main features of phraseological units (PU)
Principles of classification of PU
Proverbs

PHRASEOLOGICAL UNIT – is a word-combination in which the semantic unity prevails over structural separability

The criteria of segmentability of a word:
grammatical wholeformedness
globality of lexical meaning
existence in the language as a ready-made unit

to take care
(Inf.) (Nom., singular)
takes care
is taking care
took care
to take the chair open the meeting (I)
взять стул (II)
to fall in love
to fall down her sincere love
to fall from the table to be in love

PU and words

PU and free word-combinations

Structural invariability is expressed in the following restrictions:
Restriction in substitution
Ex: to carry coals to Manchester
Restriction in introducing additional component
Ex: the big white elephant
Grammatical invariability
Ex: from head to foot (not feet)

V.V.Vinogradov’s classification of PU
phraseological combinations
Ex: to make up one’s mind
phraseological unities
Ex: to catch at a straw
phraseological fusions
Ex: to kiss the hare’s foot

Structural classifications of PU
Verbal – Ex: to lose one’s head to smb
Substantive – Ex: cat-and-dog life
Adjectival – Ex: high and mighty
Adverbial – Ex: by hook or by crook
Interjectional – Ex: my God!