CC BY
22UDC 82
LOOK TO THE MENTALITY OF ENGLISH PEOPLE THROUGH THE PRISM OF PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS
L.A. Abdusalamova1
Abstract
This article concerns the national specificity of phraseological units of the English language and the reflection of culture, world outlook, and specific features of the character and mentality of the English people within their inner form. Based on the analysis of some idioms, a lot of information about the traditions, habits, mode of life, way of thinking that are typical of the English people was expanded, described and delivered.
Keywords: phraseology, the reflection of mentality, national character, stereotype, British culture, national coloring, sense of humor, morality, peculiarity, linguoculturology.
"By virtue of its semantic richness, figurativeness, laconism and vividness the phraseology plays an important role in the language". The system of values, morality, national character and attitude towards the world and other people is preserved within their deep meaning. {2, p. 88}
The stereotype of every nation is closely connected with its phraseological unit, with certain image conveyed in it. Within their semantics they reflect a long process of the development of the culture of the certain nation, convey national character, historical and cultural coloring. Undoubtedly, we can get to know many things about mode of life, mentality of the nation based on the inner form of linguistic units. For instance, European stereotypes are clearly visible in the joke as "Paradise is where cook are French, mechanics are German, policemen are British, lovers are Italian and it is all organized by the Swiss. Hell is where cook are British, policemen are German, lovers are the Swiss, mechanics are French, and it is all organized by Italian".
National character is of great vitality in every nation, mostly it concerns the English people, which vividly show their patriotism, are stereotyped, and at the same time mysterious. None of the inhabitants of London cannot give a full answer to the question-"Who is an English man?". As the author of the book "England, England" Julian Barns points "You think being is invasive because you are English". {3, p.54}
The phraseological fund of the English language is extraordinarily rich. Without touching upon this sphere, one cannot learn the language of this nation and converse with the representative of the British culture not having little stock of frequently used idioms.
The British character is embodied by the Anglo-Saxon practicality, with dreaminess of Celtic people, piratical courage of Vikings and with the discipline of North men.
The first and the most evident feature of this nation is the stability and permanency of the character of people that form it. Curiosity of British people let them be introduced with the best of what the other nations own, yet being the true follower of their traditions: Every bird likes its own nest; every bullet has its billet. Being admired by French cuisine, the English man would never copy it. They are very moderate in emotions, both in public and within the narrow family circle.
In the English language there is the special term "privacy" which shows the endeavor of the English to keep a strict distance with respect to other surrounding people and never interfere in someone's private life and give some advice to him. They prefer to keep distance in communicating with others. If in the centre of London someone gets acquainted with you, evidently he is not an Englishman, as true Englishman will not even think of being carried away by a conversation with the stranger.
Ыбдусаламова Лобар Акбар Кизи - магистрант факультета лингвистики, Самаркандский государственный институт иностранных языков, Узбекистан.
Филологические науки
Prudence, self-command, self-respect and practicality are turned to be the most significant features of national character of the English people being evinced in their phraseology as: in private; private eye; privacy of indifference; to violate smb's privacy; invasion of one's privacy; in the privacy of one's thoughts. {1, p. 285} The only thing that irritates and drives the Englishman to distraction is the boisterous and defiant behavior of other people.
People in western countries, especially in England and America live by the principle "time is money", and for them punctuality stands for an essential feature. They are influenced by time less than others. They appreciate the time and emphasize on its fugacity and unsteadiness. The following phraseological units convey this trait of British people as "in due time, strike while the iron is hot, make hay while the sun shines, on the dot, on the tick, "in the morning mountains, in the evening fountains", "First come, first served", "One today is worth two tomorrows", "The early bird catches the worm", "One cannot put back the clock" and others". It is also explained by complaisance, politeness, quickness laid on their mentality: smb is running for all he is worth; show a clean pair of heels; in the twinkling of an eye; at the drop of a hat. {1, 190}
Concepts "time" and "money" are considered as one of most important and appreciable issues in the life of an Englishman. They get accustomed to have everything planned ahead, and mostly negatively think of unexpectedness as the visit of uninvited guests that knock them out of their graphic - "out of the blue", "out of a clear blue sky", "out of nowhere", "like a bolt from the blue".
Based on it, they negatively treat the laziness of people and consider is as the big obstacle to wisdom and successful life and -"Idleness is the mother of all evil", "Idleness make the wit rust", "Idle folks need no excuses", "The devil finds work for idle hands to do". Besides, this negative attitude passes to beggars; they somehow semantically equalize idle people with beggars as in the idioms "lazy beggar", "lazy dog" and believe them to be very ungrateful and uncontrollable- "Set a beggar on the horseback and he will ride to the devil".
Irresponsibility, loquacity, light-mindedness are considered to be a big offence in England within all periods.{3, p. 178} It can be seen in such proverbs as "Tattler is worse than a thief, Good words and no deeds, Good words without deeds are rushes and reeds, Gossiping and lying go hand in hand".
The humor is also considered to be one of the important features of national character of the English people. They are very proud of it and morbidly react to negative attitude of foreigners to their sense of humor. The peculiarities of the sense of humor of the English are known to everyone and called as delicate humor because of the reason that it is very hard for foreigner to perceive the sense of English jokes, especially when they don't know the language well enough: the elephant jokes, dry sense of humour, banana skin sense of humour, shaggy-dog stories.
Speaking about the English mentality, it is also necessary to note about the concepts of home, family, relationship between parents and children, distribution of the roles in the family. The home is appealed to be something holy, where you can hide in from the hardship of the outer world, find a place to stay alone with your own thoughts, which obviously finds its reflection in the phraseological units as "My home is my castle", "Every bird likes it own nest", "There is no place like home, "East or west, home is the best". {1, p.157}
In the deep meaning of the phraseological units one can see the negative attitude of the English towards insincerity-Many kiss the child for the nurse's sake, towards stinginess-As good beg of a naked man as a miser, towards the inequality in the society too -One man may steal a horse while another may not look over a hedge. Boasting and conceit are also subjected to criticism by the English people: He who hesitates is lost, Pride goes before a fall.
Having investigated 'The mentality of the English through the prism of the phraseology" we have come to the conclusion that the phraseology of the language conveys the system of values, stereotypes, reflection of the mentality, and character of the people of this or that nation. As it is indicated in the article the English people are extremely mysterious nation with their specifics and habits. British character is incarnated by distinguishing features of many nations, which in any case exert a slight in-
fluence in their life throughout the ages seen in their curiosity and cold detachment, moderateness in words and emotions, reverent attitude towards the family hearth and strictness in bringing up the children, practicality and quickness in business. Being exposed to many conquests and enduring internal feuding, accepting innovations set voluntarily or by force, the English become stronger with their uniqueness.
References:
1. Koonin A.V. "The English-Russian phraseological dictionary". M., 2001.
2. Maslova V.A. "Linguoculturology". M., 2001.
3. Gurevich P.S. "Culturology". - M., 2003.
© L.A. Abdusalamova, 2016
УДК 82
ОБЗОР МЕНТАЛИТЕТА АНГЛИЙСКОГО НАРОДА СКВОЗЬ ПРИЗМУ ФРАЗЕОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ ЕДИНИЦ
Л.А. Абдусаламова
Аннотация. В данной статье рассмотрена национальная специфика фразеологизмов английского языка и отражение в их глубоком внутреннем значении культуры, взглядов на мир, специфичные черты характера и менталитета английского народа. На основе анализа нескольких фразеологизмов раскрыты, описаны и переданы сведения о традиции, привычках, быте, образе жизни и образе мышления, характерные для английского народа.
Ключевые слова: фразеология, отражение менталитета, национальный характер, стереотип, британская культура, национальный колорит, чувство юмора, нравственность, особенность, лингвокультурология.
© Л.А. Абдусаламова, 2016.
