|
An idiom is a common word or phrase with a culturally understood meaning that differs from what its composite words' denotations would suggest. For example, an English speaker would understand the phrase "''kick the bucket''" to mean ''"to die"'' and also to actually kick a bucket. Furthermore, they would understand when each meaning is being used in context. An idiom is not to be confused with other figures of speech such as a metaphor, which invokes an image by use of implicit comparisons (''e.g.'', ''"the man of steel"'' ); a simile, which invokes an image by use of explicit comparisons (''e.g.'', ''"faster than a speeding bullet"''); and hyperbole, which exaggerates an image beyond truthfulness (''e.g.'', like ''"missed by a mile"'' ). Idioms are also not to be confused with proverbs, which are simple sayings that express a truth based on common sense or practical experience. An idiom is a phrase where the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words.〔(usingenglish.com )〕〔(idiomconnection )〕 In another definition, an idiom is a speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements. In idioms, usually English learners would have a hard time understanding the real meaning if they did not have an English idioms dictionary.〔(englishclub.com )〕 English has thousands of idioms.〔(myenglishpages.com )〕 Most of English idioms are informal.〔(usingenglish.com )〕 As an example, an English speaker would get the phrase ''"kick the bucket"'' to mean ''"to die"'' as well as to actually kick a bucket. They would also understand when each sense is being used in context. An idiom is not to be confused with other figures of speech such as a metaphor, which invokes an image by use of implicit comparisons (''e.g.'', ''"the man of steel"'' ); a simile, which invokes an image by use of explicit comparisons (''e.g.'', ''"faster than a speeding bullet"''); and hyperbole, which exaggerates an image beyond truthfulness (''e.g.'', like ''"missed by a mile"'' ). Proverbs are idioms that express a universal truth based on common sense or practical experience. Visit (Wiktionary's Category ) for over eight thousand idioms. ==See also== * List of 19th-century English-language idioms * Siamese twins (linguistics) * Wiktionary:Appendix:English idioms * idiom * List of 19th-century English language idioms * Cliché 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「English-language idioms」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|