Idioms and language

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idioms include metaphorical phrases, slang, colloquialism, proverb and other expressions. It is the important composing part of language vocabulary, the centralized expression of language's national form and various rhetorical figures and the natural form of phrases and short sentences with fixed form and profound metaphor after some parts of the language has been repeatedly used.

1.Relation between idioms and language

Idioms are the results of the long use of language. The language that has a long history in the world includes abundant idioms. While English is the most widely used language in the world, it's also one of the languages that have the most plentiful means of expressions and the most splendid cultural traditions. Idioms are the set phrases and the short sentences refined from language and they are the core and essence of a language. Without idioms, language will become lifeless and uninteresting. If idioms are used properly and fluently, it can enhance the performance ability of a language, just like adding flowers to the brocade.

As the special form of a language, idioms are frequently used by the ordinary people. Idioms' meaning can be explained by modern languages, and can be applied to our daily life, but their structures are not consistent with modern languages and their vocabulary is not the same as the modern vocabulary, too. They are the terms with the whole and unique significance and they have been used for a long time. They were accepted through common practice, so idioms have special characteristics that are different from the general form of a language.

2. Characteristics of idioms

The characteristics of English idioms can be summarized as follows: nationality,and folk nature metaphorical nature .

2.1 Nationality of idioms

Laboring people create idioms, which are closely related to human beings and the environment of people's life. Therefore, idioms have indivisible relation with such aspects as its nation's geographical environments, historical background, economic life, customs, religion, psychology, sense of value and so on. Like mirrors, idioms can clearly reflect the characteristics of a nation's culture. Idioms often use appropriate figures of speech and can evoke association of an idea, but this association is decided by the nation's realistic environment and life experience. People all over the world live in the same earth, so some of their experiences and consciousness are similar. For example, the common labor experience of the Chinese and British makes the two nations give rise to some identical life experiences:

More haste, less speed. (欲速不达。)

To pass fish eyes for pearls (鱼目混珠)

2.2 Folk nature of idioms

The idioms of various languages in the world are mostly from folk. These ordinary lives of people bring about languages and tens of thousands of the poetic idioms. Many skilful idioms in English are the creation of seamen, hunters, farmers, mates, soldiers and housewives. When they go in for labor, they find some laws from the surrounding familiar environments and objects, understand some truth, go together with a few vivid words and phrases and create a few lively and thought-provoking metaphors. In the course of time, the words used by minority at first became the fixed idioms, which are vividly used and known to every household.

Idioms are from people and they of course reflect the multicolored folk life. England is an island state surrounded by the sea, so there are many idioms related to navigation and fishing in English. For example, over head and ears which means "flood head and ears" is the origin of seamen's saying. Later on more people begin to use the idiom (because many seamen are in England), which can express vividly and so its usage scope is extended from sea into land, implying people's other activities:

over head and ears in debt (债台高筑)

over head and ears in love (深坠情网)

2.3 Metaphorical nature of idioms

Idioms are the important rhetorical figures of language and the centralized expression of various rhetorical devices in which figure of speech is the main one. Actually most of idioms are the figurative language using the appropriate figure of speech. In rhetoric, figure of speech can be divided into simile, metaphor, metonymy, and synecdoche and so on.

Simile is a comparison between two things that are unlike in many respects, but have one point of resemblance. The comparison is usually expressed by like or as. In the structure of "as … as …" vehicle and figurative meaning are giving, then the idiom's meaning is clear. For instance,

as timid as a rabbit（胆小如鼠）

as silent as the grave（守口如瓶）

The other structure uses "like" to draw the vehicle, so readers need associate figurative meaning. For instance, like water off a duck's back compares some certain things like water beating on the feathers of the rich oil duck's backs and it doesn't keep the least little water. It is often used to blame somebody who does not take one's advice.

To sum up, the idiom is not only the essence of a language, but also the epitome of a language and the centralized reflection of the characteristics of a language. Language is created in the labor, so the majority of English idioms are from the productive labor and life experience of ordinary people; language is for the purpose of communication. The origins of idioms are the most frequent use of slang and colloquialism in oral communication; language embodies the wisdom of people. Idioms focus on reflecting the language's rhetorical figures and technique of expression, a large part of which are the brilliant words and phrases of literary giant; language is in the service of the various activities of humanity. Idioms vividly reflect every aspect of human life.