NAMES, MIND, AND MEANING IN ENGLISH IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS
Keywords:
onomastic idioms, proper names, anthroponyms, toponyms, mythological names, idiomatic expressions, cognitive linguistics, conceptual metaphor, conceptual metonymy, frame semantics, cultural knowledge, phraseology, semantic motivation, language teaching, intercultural communicationAbstract
The present article studies English idiomatic expressions containing proper
names from a linguo-cognitive perspective. Idioms with onomastic elements represent
a culturally and conceptually rich subclass of English phraseology, in which proper
names lose their primary referential function and acquire symbolic and generalized
meanings. Drawing on data from idiom dictionaries and language corpora, the study
analyzes anthroponyms, toponyms, and mythological or biblical names to reveal the
cognitive mechanisms underlying their semantic reinterpretation. The analysis
demonstrates that idiomatic meaning is motivated by conceptual metaphor, conceptual
metonymy, and culturally embedded frames that activate shared background
knowledge. The findings highlight the significant role of proper names as cognitive
triggers in meaning formation and contribute to a deeper understanding of the
interaction between language, mind, and culture. The study also discusses implications
for cognitive linguistics, phraseology, language teaching, and intercultural
communication.
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