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Копжасарова У.И., Кикимова А.Т. ©
К.п.н., кафедра методики преподавания английского языка,
Карагандинский государственный университет имени академика Е.А.Букетова
PHRASEOLOGICAL FUND OF THE LANGUAGE AS THE MEANS OF PEOPLE
MENTALITY REFLECTION
Summary
The article deals with the problem of phraseological units as the means of reflection of national character and people mentality. On the base of analysis of culturally significant interpretation resources authors have come to conclusion that phraseological units store and reproduce mentality and culture from generation to generation.
Keywords: phraseological fund of the language, the internal form of phraseological units, the resources of culturally significant interpretation of phraseological units.
Ключевые слова: фразеологический фонд языка, внутренняя форма фразеологизмов, источники культурно-значимой интерпретации фразеологизмов.
Language is a means of culture reflection. Language reflects not only the world surrounding a person, but also the public consciousness of the people, national character, traditions, system of values, mentality [1]. Language stores culture concepts and transfers them from generation to generation. For this reason language plays a significant role in formation of an ethnic community [2, 100].
The mentality is a category which deals with the internal organization and differentiation of the nation's character, its way of thinking. The mentality is understood as a profound structure of consciousness which depends on the social and cultural, lingual, geographical and other factors [3, 49].
Phraseological fund of the language is the most valuable source of information on culture and mentality of the nation because it preserves the ideas of the people on myths, customs, ceremonies, rituals, habits, morals etc. [3, 43].
V. N. Teliya claims that the phraseological fund of the language is «a mirror in which the lingual and cultural community identifies its national consciousness». Phraseological units impose a special vision of the world to native speakers [3, 82]. It is expressed mostly in the phraseological units connected with the traditions and customs of the people: for example, in Russian из полы в полу (from hand to hand - that was a custom at a horse sale), [4] вывести на чистую воду (to expose - the water always had an exclusive value in Russian national beliefs and ceremonies. In order to heal a person water must be clean) [5]; in English a baker's dozen (according to the ancient custom, bread tradesmen received thirteen loaves instead of twelve from bakers, and the thirteenth loaf was taken into an income of tradesmen); good wine needs no bush (innkeepers hung out ivy branches meaning that there was wine on sale) [6].
How is the culture embodied in language, particularly in phraseological units? V.N. Teliya put forward a hypothesis the essence of which is «if the units of the language possess cultural and national peculiarities, the latter should have the ways of its display and means of correlation with it, i.e. to serve as some kind of "link" connecting «a sign body» (and for the signs of the secondary nomination it is a «literal meaning» of the signifier) - on the one hand, and on the other hand -concepts, stereotypes, standards, symbols, mythologemes, etc».
According to V.N. Teliya, it is possible to outline some main areas being the sources of the culturally significant interpretation of phraseological units: 1) words with no direct equivalents in other languages, culturally specific vocabulary; 2) mythologized language units: ceremonial and
©© Копжасарова УИ., Кикимова А.Т., 2013 г.
ritual forms of culture, legends, customs, beliefs; 3) paremiological fund of the language; 4) models, stereotypes, symbols, rituals; 5) images; 6) the stylistic structure of languages; 7) speech behaviour; 8) religion and language interaction; 9) the area of speech etiquette [7].
Words with no direct equivalents in other languages, culturally specific words are designations of the phenomena specific to the culture. Quite a few components of phraseological units may contain the indication of ethnographic realities (in Russian лапоть - a bast shoe - in the idiom лаптем щи хлебать - to be ignorant, аршин - in the idiom мерить на свой аршин - to judge by one's own yardstick; in English inch - in the idiom within an inch of one's life - very close to one's death, brownie - in the idiom earn/get brownie points - to get praise or approval for something you have done).
The myth is an ancient form of knowledge that is expressed in national legends about gods and legendary heroes, about the origin of life on the Earth. Archetypes are the core of mythological consciousness. The archetype is the stable image which arises in consciousness of the individual of a certain lingual society and which is kept in culture. For example, the basis of phraseological units with component bread is the archetype of bread as a symbol of life, wellbeing and material prosperity. For example, in Russian - есть чужой хлеб (to live off somebody); and in English someone's bread and butter - livelihood, bread is the staff of life - there's no life without bread.
Some phraseological units reflect the remains of the last generations' world view. They are ancient popular beliefs and legends. In Russian чертова дюжина (a baker's dozen) means number thirteen - according to popular beliefs the number thirteen is considered unlucky, bringing misfortune; благую часть избирать / избрать (to choose a good part) - it stems from the evangelical legend about two sisters - Marfa and Maria who were visited by Jesus. Marfa was preparing food, and Maria, who had chosen a good part, was listening to Jesus' sermon. In English a black sheep is a person who is regarded as a disgrace or failure by his family or peer group (according to an ancient belief the black sheep is marked by the devil); lick into shape is to bring into satisfactory condition or appearance (according to a medieval belief bear cubs are born shapeless, and a she-bear, licking them, gives them a due look).
It is important to describe symbols, stereotypes, standards and rituals to reveal the cultural content of idioms.
The symbol in linguistics is a thing, object or phenomena endowed with a sense. In the structure of idioms separate components develop a symbolical meaning: for example, in Russian отбиться от рук (the same in English to get out of hand) - when it is impossible to control something or someone. In these phraseological units a component hand develops a symbolical meaning "power". Быть чьей-либо правой рукой (the same in English to be somebody's right-hand man/woman) - someone who helps you with your work and who you depend upon, протянуть руку помощи (the same in English give somebody a hand) - to help someone. In these phraseological units a component hand develops a symbolical meaning "help", etc.
The standard is a stable comparison of qualities of the person or a subject with properties of the reality. Standards usually exist in the language in the form of figurative comparisons. For example, for the Russian the ram is silly (глупый, как баран), the bear is clumsy (неуклюжий, как медведь), the hare is cowardly (трусливый, как заяц), the fox is cunning (хитрый, как лиса), etc.; for the English the beaver is hardworking (as busy as a beaver), the lamb is gentle (as gentle as a lamb), the rabbit is timid (as timid as a rabbit). The bases of such steady comparisons make up one of the most important cultural codes in a certain cultural society and traditionally are reproduced in each generation.
The stereotype, unlike a standard, is the type existing in the world. It measures activity, behavior, etc. Behavior stereotypes being the most important among all the stereotypes can turn into rituals. The difference between them is that when there is a realization of stereotypes people may not realize the purposes of the actions. The ritual, however, always assumes an introspection concerning the meaning of its realization. By means of rituals the general cultural norms and values of the people are maintained. For example, some rituals are fixed in phraseological units: in Russian преподнести хлеб-соль кому-либо (literally, to give bread and salt to someone) - «to honour guests». In this phraseological unit the ritual ceremony is fixed: when meeting the guests of honour the Russians give them "bread and salt" - a loaf of bread and a saltcellar with salt [7].
Thus, we have come to the conclusion that phraseological units directly (in denotation) or indirectly (through the correlation of the associative and figurative basis to standards, symbols, stereotypes of national culture) bear cultural information about society and the world. Therefore, phraseological units are fairly considered to be some kind of "the fount of wisdom" of the people, storing and reproducing mentality and culture from generation to generation.
Литература
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