Title understanding idioms and the proce

Elgilani Khalil Osman Elfaki Assistant Professor Translation & English Language College of Sciences and Humanities –Hawtat Sudair of idioms and idiomatic expressions, foreign language le

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Dr Elgilani Khalil Osman Elfaki

Assistant Professor (Translation & English Language)

College of Sciences and Humanities –Hawtat Sudair

of idioms and idiomatic expressions, foreign language learners in general, and translators in particular should possess profound linguistic and cultural knowledge in both source and target languages

As idioms have indirect meanings, they are graded in their degree of difficulties Translating English idioms into Arabic and vice versa is daunting task English and Arabic languages are of different linguistic backgrounds; English is Indo –European,

Germanic language of Christian descent English as a flexible language has a history of word borrowing from different languages as a result of colonization (Indian peninsula, some African and Asian countries) and conquests and invasions (Roman, Danish, Norman), whereas Arabic is a Semitic language of Afro –Asiatic language family with Islamic (Quran and Prophet Mohammed's traditions) background Few English idioms have identical or direct meaning in Arabic and vice versa Conversely, remaining majority of English and Arabic idioms do not have identical or direct meaning or equivalents As a result, difficulties arise when foreign language learners attempt to translate from or into these languages

As idioms are universal; exist in any language, they are classified into different categories So as to transfer their meanings into other languages, several strategies (methods and procedures) are applied in translating them

Key Words: Idioms, Classification of Idioms, Culture and Idioms, Translation,

Strategies, Understanding of Idioms

Introduction:

Idioms are the most gleaming and dazzling part of languages They transmit language message of communication with the employment of few vocabulary Idioms in any language have great importance We cannot imagine any language without the use of idioms in speech or writing, in formal or informal contexts, among young or adult speakers Idioms are considered as flavor and identity of any language

According to a study conducted by Lazar et.al (1989) '' Approximately 6.7% of the

sentences in third –to eight grade reading materials used idioms '' Bulut (2004) adds

that '' Idiomatic expressions arise every 3-4 minutes in conversation '' Qualls et.al

When translating idioms singly or in contexts, foreign language learners generally and English learners in particular come across several difficulties which are hard to overcome These difficulties are due to:

1-Non –equivalence on the idiom level from source language into target language and

vice versa As Mona Baker (1992:68) asserts '' different languages express meanings

using different linguistic means such as fixed expressions, idioms, words, etc and it is very hard to find an equivalent of the same meaning and form in the target language''

2-Compared to other English vocabulary particles, idioms constitute the most difficult part due to the unpredictable nature of their meaning Foreign language learners strive and usually fail to provide precise idiomatic equivalence when translating from source

to target languages

3-Most idioms are culture –bound

4-Learners' inability to distinguish between idiomatic and non –idiomatic expressions The basic characteristic of idioms is their non –literal metaphorical sense Idioms are fixed expressions; an idiom like ''a piece of cake'', the words sequences cannot be substituted and singular words cannot either be transformed into plural forms

Idioms: Definition, Explanation and Meaning:

The lack of predictability of the meanings of idioms makes them particularly difficult for non-native speakers of a language to master them The correct knowledge, understanding and choice of idioms are indications of native or native –like mastery of English language In Oxford Advanced Dictionary –A S Hornby – sixth edition

(2000:643) defines an idiom as ''a group of words whose meaning is different from the

meanings of the individual words: 'let the cat out of the bag' is an idiom meaning to tell

a secret by mistake ''

Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms (1998:1) points out that: ''they are (idioms) more colorful and forceful in meaning than non-idiomatic phrases '' For example, the idiomatic expression '' look dagger at someone '' is much more vivid and emphatic in meaning than look angrily at someone Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 6th Edition defines an idiom as '' A group of words that has a

special meaning that is different from the ordinary meaning of each separate word For

example, 'under the weather' is an idiom meaning 'ill' '' As idioms are linguistic

expressions which are typical for a language and which often cannot be translated literally into a different language, they pose challenges to translators and students

James R Hurtford et al (1983:77) indicate:

''Idiomatic expressions(idioms) are multi-word phrases

whose overall meanings are idiosyncratic and largely

unpredictable, reflecting speaker meanings that are not

derivable by combining the literal senses of the individual

words in each phrase according to regular semantic rules

of the language ''

Few idioms abide by their literal constituents meaning Thus, meaning which is

intended usually depends on the context in which the expression is used

Any speaker of English knows, for example, ''let the cat out of the bag '' is usually used

to mean something like 'reveal a secrete ' though it also has possible, though rarely intended literal compositional meaning something like 'release a small feline animal from a sack '

Michael J Wallace (1981:5) defines idioms as ''Expressions whose meanings cannot

be easily worked out from the words they contain '' These expressions sometimes cause

complexity and difficulties to understand English The difficulty of understanding the meaning of idioms is simply due to its nature: an idiom is an assembly of different

unrelated words Ghazala (2003:128) defines an idiomatic expression as '' A fixed

phrase whose form is usually unchangeable, and whose meaning is always the same, inflexible, metaphorical and indirect ''

These fixedness, in- changeability, and sameness idioms' meaning are the main causes that drive non –native or foreign language learners to commit mistakes of understanding and then translating idioms

Idioms are usually special to one language and cannot be translated word for word: in this sense we can quote Baker, (1992:11)

''An idiom may have no equivalent in the target language, one language may express a given meaning by means of a single word, another may express it by means of transparent

fixed expression, a third may express it by means of an idiom

and so on''

Howarth (1998:28) defines a pure idiom as '' a unitary meaning that cannot be derived from the meaning of its components ''

J Seidl Mc Mordiew (1983 :4) explains:

'' we can say that an idiom is a number of words which, taken together, Mean

something different from the individual words of the idiom when they Standalone ''

Mona Baker, (1992:63) considers idioms as: '' Frozen patterns of language which

allow little or no variation in form and often carry meanings which cannot be

deduced from their individual components ''

Rosamund Moon (1998: 3) tackles idioms as: '' An ambiguous term, used in

conflicting ways'' Ambiguity of these terms always confuse foreign language

learners, since they are new and peculiar in their composition

Irujo (1984:38) defines an idiom as '' an idiom is an expression whose meaning cannot

be derived from its constituent parts''

According to Irujo, (1984:42) ''idioms have conventionalized meanings, agreed upon

by speakers of the language, which usually cannot be figured out if they are not known '' For example, the knowledge of the meaning of words: 'nuts and bolts ' does not carry

any indication at all to the idiomatic meaning '' the practical details''

Idioms appear to constitute obstacles for a lot of foreign language learners due to their special meaning and specific use in any language

McCarthy and O'Dell (2005:6)state : ''idioms are group of words in a fixed order that have a meaning that cannot be guessed by knowing the meaning of the individual words'' For example, ''black sheep'' means a person who brings dishonor on his family

or friends

Idioms are acquired or learned in normal native language environment, whereas foreign language learners possess mastery of idioms either through learning and teaching process or when they have chances to live in native language environment Therefore, foreign language learners are always recommended and urged to learn idioms intensively and extensively

Due to complex nature and indirect meaning of idioms, native language speakers prefer

to use simple and idioms –free language when conversing with non –native speakers in order to facilitate communication process Foreign language learners should always have the experience of learning and using idioms Idioms are widely used in magazines, newspapers, on radio and television programs Long (1981:35) indicates ''input without interaction is not sufficient for language acquisition'' Thus, learning idioms without using them hinders final stages of acquisition of a language as: fluency and mastery

Classifications of Idioms:

Idioms categorizations vary from writer to another, but these classifications share

common characteristics and similarities According to Elewa (2015: 220) '' Idioms vary

as to how transparent their meaning is They can be classified into five types ''

1-Transparent or literal Idioms: put the blame on

2-Semi –transparent Idioms: skate on thin ice, pull strings

3-Semi –opaque Idioms: break the ice, keep one's guard

4-Opaque Idioms: kick the bucket, chew the fat, face the music bad blood, carry the day, cloak –and –dagger, hen party, and kangaroo court

5-Misleading Idioms: bend someone's ear, war chest

An accurate analysis of idioms provides us with appropriate tools to identify lexical components of an idiom Idioms are therefore could be classified into the following

types:

Fernando (1996 :35,36) suggests the following as classes of idioms:

1-Pure Idioms: a type of normal or ordinary figurative or metaphorical expression For example ''pure as the driven snow and red neck''

2-Semi –Idioms: have extra literal particles, but no sense or effect of literality Examples ''fish out of water and walking on eggs''

3-Literal Idioms: They are either invariable or allow little variation They are clear and

obvious, and easily understood based on their parts Examples, of course, in any case,

for certain

The meanings of the individual words cannot be summoned to produce the meaning of the 'idiomatic' expression as a whole Then idioms involve the non-literal use of language and they can be classified as follows:

1-Alternative comparison: Examples: Dead as a door nail or as dead as a dodo

2-Noun phrases: Example: rainy day

3-Verb +Noun phrase: Example: jump the queue

4-Preposition phrases: Example: in for a penny, in for proud

5-Verb+Adverb: Example: give the shirt off your back

6-Verb +preposition phrase: Example: be between a rock and a hard place

Palmer (1976 :98 -99) divisions: Phrasal verbs and partial idioms

1-Phrasal Verbs: Palmer (1976:98) points to them as idioms '' A very common type of

idiom in English is what is usually called the ' phrasal verb ', the combination of verb plus adverb, of the kind make –up, give in, put down'' The composition of these

words makes it impossible to understand the meaning instantly

2-Partial Idioms: One of the words has its usual meaning, meanwhile other words meaning is strange to customary formation of sentence Examples: red hair, make a bed, raining cats and dogs

Ghazala, (2003:128-130) divide the idioms into: ''direct idioms, indirect idioms, and phrasal verbs '' Thus, for further information emphasis and explanations examples can be as follows:

1-Wild goose chase هنملئاط لا/ ةميقع ةلواحم

2-Separate/ tell the sheep from the goats نيمثلا نم ثغلا زيمي

3-With a heart of gold قيقر /ادج فوطع/ ميحر

4-kick the bucket تومي

5-Rob Peter to pay Paul نيدب نيد ددسي -1

Students problems here are increasing due to:

1-No direct equivalents in their native language

2-Direct translation will be clumsy and off point

3-Some of these idioms are culture –based: Peter and Paul

Thus, as a solution, students must:

1-expose themselves to more direct and indirect idioms

2-distinguish between different kinds of idioms

3-use and consult idioms and advanced dictionaries

C-Phrasal Verbs: Put on, argue back, carry out They are characteristics of modern English It is normal to put adverbs or prepositions after specific verbs in order to get different meanings of a word to diversify the language usage Examples:

Problems of Phrasal Verbs Translation from English into Arabic:

1-One phrasal verb may have more than one meaning; polysemy, direct or indirect meaning

2-Learners need to learn whether a certain phrasal verb combination is transitive (requires an object) or intransitive (cannot have an object)

3-English foreign learners in general, Arab learners in particular find them unfamiliar, since there are no equivalent forms in their language

4-Some polysemous nature of these phrasal verbs lead to confusion

The author classifies idioms according to their nature or origin as: Animal idioms, bird idioms, number idioms, food idioms, business idioms, color idioms, body idioms, legal and court idioms, negotiation idioms, education and school idioms, clothes idioms, love idioms, sports, and medical idioms

1-Animal –based Idioms: They can be categorized into:

Bat Idioms:

i-have bats in one's belfry: to be a little bit crazy

ii-like a bat out of hell: very fast

Bear Idioms:

i-bear market: time when shareholders sell their shares, etc rather than buying

because they expect share prices will fall

ii-as hungry as a bear: very hungry

Beaver Idioms:

i-as busy as a beaver: very busy

ii-eager beaver: a person who is always eager to work or do extra works

i-like a cat on hot bricks: very nervous and upset

ii-as nervous as a cat: very nervous

Cow Idioms:

i-till the cows come home: forever; for a very long time

ii-A cash cow: a lucrative product or project

iii-Holy cow: used to express strong feelings of astonishment, pleasure or anger

Dog Idioms:

i-a dog's life: an unhappy life; life full of problems

ii-Top dog: most important person, winner; best person

iii-not have a dog's chance: to have no chance at all

Elephant Idioms:

i-A white elephant: a useless thing, with much financial cost

ii-the elephant in the room: a question, issue, or problem which any one knows, but does not mention because it is easier not to discuss

i-as gentle as a lamb: very gentle or docile

ii-as meek as a lamb: very quiet, docile, or meek

Lion Idioms:

i-lion's share: the biggest part or share of something

ii-the lion's den: a difficult situation in which a person faces an unfriendly

surrounding

Monkey Idioms:

i-monkey business: dishonest or silly behavior or conduct

ii-make a monkey (out) of sb : to make somebody feel stupid or awkward

Mule Idioms: as stubborn as a mule: very stubborn

Pig Idioms:

i-as fat as a pig: very fat

ii-buy a pig in a poke: to buy something without seeing it or know anything about it

Sheep and goat idioms:

i-black sheep: the worst or the most unpopular or disliked person

ii-separate/tell/sort out the sheep from the goat: to distinguish people who are good or intelligent from those who are not

Wolf Idioms:

i-keep the wolf from the door: to have enough money to avoid going hungry

ii-a wolf in sheep's clothing: a person who seems to be friendly or harmless but is really an enemy

i-chicken feed: a small sum of money

ii-chicken –livered: cowardly, easily scared

Coot Idioms:

i-as bald as a coot: completely bald

Crow Idioms:

i-as hoarse as a crow: very hoarse

ii-eat crow: to admit that you are mistaken or defeated

Dodo Idioms:

i-as dead as a dodo: dead, extinct, no longer in existence

Duck Idioms:

i-as a duck takes to water: easily and naturally

ii-as easy as a duck soup: very easy, requiring no effort

iii-duck soup: a task that does not require much effort

Eagle Idioms:

i-eagle eye: an intently watchful eye

Goose Idioms:

i-as silly as a goose: very silly

ii-cook (someone's) goose: to damage someone's plans, damage or ruin someone

Hawk Idioms:

i-watch (someone /something) like a hawk: to watch someone or something very carefully

Hen Idioms:

i-as mad as a wet hen: angry

ii-as scarce as hen's teeth: very scarce or non –existence

Jaybird Idioms:

i-as naked as a jaybird: naked

Lark Idioms:

i-as happy as a lark: very happy and cheerful

Owl Idioms:

i-as wise as an owl: very wise

ii-night owl: a person who does not sleep at night

Peacock Idioms:

i-as proud as a peacock: very proud, haughty

Swan Idioms:

i-as graceful as a swan: agile and graceful

ii-swan song: the last piece of artistic, theatrical or music work produced or

performed by a singer, painter, actor …etc before his/her quit or death

3-Body Idioms:

i-behind (someone's)back: without someone's knowledge; secretly; when someone is absent

4-Business Idioms:

i-banker's hours: short work hours

ii-corner the market: to dominate a particular market with your product

5-Clothes -based Idioms:

i-birthday suit: complete nakedness

ii-give (someone) the shirt off one's back: to be very generous to someone

iii-have/has ants in one's pant: to be restless or nervous

6-Colour -based Idioms:

i-blue helmet: a United Nations soldier, often for peace keeping missions

ii-blue –chip: safe and profitable investment

Gray Idioms:

i-get gray hair: to have one's hair turning white /gray as old age or from stress

ii-gray area: a position in which things are vague and not clear; uncertainty about something

iii-gray matter: brains, intelligence

Green Idioms:

i-green: inexperienced, immature

ii-green light: go –ahead, permission

iii-green back: US Dollar

Pink Idioms:

i-pink slip: a termination notice from a job

ii-in the pink (of condition): in very good health

Red Idioms:

i-in the red: in debt, unprofitable