1. Methods of conveying the semantics of idioms and proverbs denoting colour
a. Literal meanings
Idioms and proverbs always make people confused about their meaning because most of them are figurative. However, a number of the subsequent idioms and proverbs with colour words are exceptions:
In English:
February fill dyke, be it black or be it white.
One white foot, buy him; two white feet, try him; three white feet, look well about him; four white feet, go without him.
Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight; red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning.
In Vietnamese:
Mưa tránh chỗ trắng, nắng tránh chỗ đen
Kiến đen tha trứng lên cao, thế nào cũng có mưa rào rất to.
Mây xanh thì nắng, mây trắng thì mưa.
Trời đang nắng, cỏ gà trắng thì mưa.
Danh lam thắng cảnh.
Xanh nhà hơn già đồng.
Mạ úa cấy lúa chóng xanh.
Non xanh nước biếc.
Vàng mây thì gió, đỏ mây thì mưa.
Nhất vện, nhì vàng, tam khoang, tứ đốm.
Tua rua mọc, vàng cây héo lá, Tua rua lặn, chết cá chết tôm.
The above examples refer to weather phenomena, farming experiences and natural scenes, so readers and listeners can immediately understand what it wants to precise. Therefore, they are idioms and proverbs that carry the literal meaning.
b. Figurative meanings
As everyone knows, idioms and proverbs generally and which associated with colour in particular, always carry some extremely special meanings in themselves. Therefore, the following rhetorical measures have been used to express its figurative meaning:
Metaphor
According to "Từ điển tiếng Việt" (Viện Ngôn ngữ học, 2003: 19) metaphor is understood as "phép dùng từ ngữ dựa trên sự liên tưởng và so sánh
ngầm" (the use of words based on association and implicit comparison) (the author’s translation).
Example: In the red - Nợ nần chồng chất.
Metonymy
In "Historical semantics and cognition", Blank gave the definition of metonymy as ―a linguistic device based on salient conceptual relations within a frame network‖ (1999: 174)
Example: A yellow streak - Tính nhát gan
Simile
In ―Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English‖ (1995:
1102), A S Hornby defined simile as ―a comparison of one thing with another‖.
Example: Red as a beetroot - Đỏ như gấc
Hyperbole
Hornby (1995: 586) supposed hyperbole is "deliberately and obviously exaggerated for effect."
Example: Bleed someone white - Uống nước cả cặn
Antithesis
Viện ngôn ngữ học (2003: 1081) states that the antithesis is a rhetorical measure that is "có tính chất trái ngược, đối chọi nhau rõ rệt." (Distinctly opposite and contrasting with each other) (the author’s translation).
Example: In black and white - Giấy trắng mực đen.
Summary:
Table 3.12: Rhetorical measures of Idioms and Proverb denoting colour in English and Vietnamese
Rhetorical measures
English Vietnamese
Occurrence Percentage (%)
Occurrence Percentage (%)
Metaphor 12 18.8% 18 46.2%
Metonymy 44 68.8% 11 28.2%
Simile 5 7.8% 7 17.9%
Hyperbole 2 3.1% 1 2.6%
Antithesis 1 1.5% 2 5.1%
Total 64 100% 39 100%
According to the data table, both English and Vietnamese idioms and proverbs have all five rhetorical devices as Metaphor, Metonymy, Simile, Hyperbole, and Antithesis. In which, metonymy is the most used in English (68.8%) and in Vietnamese, it is metaphor (46.2%). The remaining measures are used quite sparingly in English and Vietnamese idioms and proverbs.
2. The semantic fields of idioms and proverbs denoting colour a. The colour tone of something:
English Vietnamese
(As) white as a sheet / ghost Đen như cột nhà cháy
Red as a beetroot None
2 1
Table 3.13: Idioms and Proverbs of English and Vietnamese in the Semantic field of Colour
Idioms and proverbs belonging to this field of meaning exclusively refer to the specific colour of something.
b. Life experience:
English Vietnamese
February fill dyke, be it black or be it white
Mưa tránh chỗ trắng, nắng tránh chỗ đen
Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight; Kiến đen tha trứng lên cao, thế nào
red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning
cũng có mưa rào rất to
A green Yule makes a fat
churchyard Mây xanh thì nắng, mây trắng thì mưa
The devil is not so black as he is
painted Trời đang nắng, cỏ gà trắng thì mưa
It doesn't matter a cat is black or
white as long as it catches mice Vàng mây thì gió, đỏ mây thì mưa Two blacks don't make a white Gần mực thì đen, gần đèn thì rạng
In black and white Chó đen giữ mực
Once in a blue moon Đổi trắng thay đen Between the devil and the deep blue
sea Giấy trắng mực đen
Blue are the hills that are far away Xanh vỏ đỏ lòng The grass is always greener on the
other side of the fence
Giàu ăn ba bữa, khó cũng đỏ lửa ba lần
One white foot, buy him; two white feet, try him; three white feet, look well about him; four white feet, go without him
Lọng vàng che nải chuối xanh, tiếc con chim loan phượng đậu nhành tre khô
None Tua rua mọc, vàng cây héo lá, Tua rua
lặn, chết cá chết tôm
None Lửa đã đỏ lại bỏ thêm rơm
None
Sống được miếng dồi chó, chết được bó vàng tâm
None Ai ăn trầu thì nấy đỏ môi
None Chưa nóng nước đã đỏ gọng
None Vàng đỏ nhọ lòng son
None Xanh nhà hơn già đồng
None Mạ úa cấy lúa chóng xanh
None
Thà rằng được sẻ trên tay còn hơn được hứa trên mây hạc vàng
None
Nhất vện, nhì vàng, tam khoang, tứ đốm
12 22
Table 3.14: Idioms and Proverbs of English and Vietnamese in the Semantic field of Life Experience
Idioms and proverbs with words indicating colour above were collected by our ancestors from experiences, concepts of philosophy of life and laws of natural phenomena as well as experiences in labour and breeding, farming or some historical sites, etc.
c. Human alluding:
English Vietnamese
The black sheep Mặt sắt đen sì
Black hat Đen đầu thì bỏ, đỏ đầu thì nuôi
Big white chief Mắt trắng dã, môi thâm sì
The white man's burden Thần nanh đỏ mỏ
A white knight Đầu xanh tuổi trẻ
Men in white coats Mặt xanh nanh vàng
White hat Cành vàng lá ngọc
Better dead than red Bảng vàng bia đá
Reds under the bed Khuôn vàng thước ngọc
A blue-eyed boy (girl) Nhân hiền tại mạo, trắng gạo ngon cơm
Blue-blood Cá vàng bụng bọ
11 11
Table 3.15: Idioms and Proverbs of English and Vietnamese in the Semantic field of Human alluding
Idioms and proverbs with colour words belonging to this semantic field refer to both the outer and inner appearance of individuals consistent with the culture of both English and Vietnamese languages.
d. Behaviours and sensations:
English Vietnamese
Beat someone black and blue Ăn trắng mặc trơn Be in someone's black books Lo bò trắng răng
A black look Trắng mắt ra
White wash Đỏ như son
Show the white feather Mặt đỏ như gấc Bleed someone white Xanh như đít nhái
Paint the town red Mặt vàng như nghệ
A red herring Gan vàng dạ sắt
Red in tooth and claw Đói vàng mắt:
Like a red rag to a bull None
See red None
A bolt from the blue None
Do something until you are blue in
the face None
Out of the blue None
Like a blue-arsed fly None
Scream blue murder None
Talk a blue streak None
True blue None Green about (or around or at) the
gills None
Green with envy None
The green-eyed monster None
Wigs on the green None
Wear the green willow None
A yellow streak None
24 9
Table 3.16: Idioms and Proverbs of English and Vietnamese in the Semantic field of Behaviours and Sensations
The behaviours and sensations expressed in these idioms and proverbs are acts of violence, anger, jealousy and sadness, etc. The meaning of each sentence depends largely on the conception of the colours represented in it.
e. A particular conception:
English Vietnamese
Beyond the black stump Hai bàn tay trắng
Black box Trong ngọc trắng ngà
A black mark against someone Danh lam thắng cảnh
The black market Non xanh nước biếc
In the black Quả xanh gặp nanh sắc
A white lie Xanh cọng, nóng nác
A white hope Đất sỏi có chạch vàng
The white flag None
A white elephant None
Mark something with a white stone None
In the red None
Red alert None
Red tape None
A red-letter day None
Red-light district None
The wide (wild) blue yonder None
Blue-sky research None
Green light None
18 7
Table 3.17: Idioms and Proverbs of English and Vietnamese in the Semantic field of a Particular Conception
Idioms and proverbs denoting colour expressing a particular conception can refer to a place, an idea, or simply an object.
Summary:
Table 3.18: Frequency of semantic fields of English and Vietnamese idioms and proverbs denoting colour
Semantic fields
English Vietnamese
Occurrence Percentage (%)
Occurrence Percentage (%) The colour tone of
something 2 3% 1 2%
Life experience 12 17.9% 22 44%
Human alluding 11 16.4% 11 22%
Behaviours and
sensations 24 35.8% 9 18%
A particular
conception 18 26.9% 7 14%
Total 67 100% 50 100%
Through the above data table, we can see a clear difference within the semantic field of idioms and proverbs in English and Vietnamese. While English mostly deals with behavioural and sensational aspects (35.8%) or a particular conception (26.9%), Vietnamese focuses on life experiences about weather and nature (44%). However, the idioms and proverbs denoting colour of both languages have a coincidence when referring to human with the same 11 occurrences.