Syntactically, idioms and proverbs are going to be divided into eight common sorts of structures for analysis: noun phrases, verb phrases, adjective phrases, adverb phrases, prepositional phrases, together with other forms of sentence structures such as simple, complex and comparative.
1. English and Vietnamese Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour with noun phrase structures
English Occurrence Vietnamese Occurrence NP
(Blue-blood) 1 N/ NP + Adj
(Mặt sắt đen sì, etc) 3 Art + Adj + N/ NP
(A black look, The black market, etc)
14
N + Adj + N + Adj (Non xanh nước biếc, etc)
6
N/ NP + N/ NP
(Red-light district) 1 N/ NP + N/ NP
(Cá vàng bụng bọ, etc) 3 (Art) + N + Pre + Art
+ N
(A bolt from the blue, etc)
3
N + Adj + C + N + N + Adj + C + N
(Mây xanh thì nắng, mây trắng thì mưa)
1
NP + Pre + N, NP (Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight; red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning)
1 N/ NP + Adj + N/ NP
(Đầu xanh tuổi trẻ, etc) 3
NP//V + ProN
(One white foot, buy 1 N + Adj + C + N +
Adj + N + Adj + N 1
him; two white feet, try him; three white feet, look well about him; four white feet, go without him)
(Nhân hiền tại mạo, trắng gạo ngon cơm)
N + Pre + Adj + N
(Men in white coats) 1 None 0
Art + Adv + Adj + N (The wide/wild blue yonder)
1 None 0
Total 23 17
Table 3.1: Noun Phrase Structures of English and Vietnamese Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour
Based on the above table of noun phrase structure, we can see that the samples of idioms and proverbs in both languages have the basic syntaxes are quite even. However, the number of noun phrase structures in English is slightly more than in Vietnamese, especially the structure "Art + Adj + N/ NP" with 14 examples. In Vietnamese, the structure "N + Adj + N + Adj" is the most common with only 6 examples. The other remaining syntax is fairly evenly distributed. Although both are noun phrase structures, the particular syntaxes of idioms and proverbs in both languages are quite different.
2. English and Vietnamese Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour with verb phrase structures
English Occurrence Vietnamese Occurrence V + N
(See red) 1 V + Adj + N
(Đói vàng mắt) 1
V + Pre + (Art) + N/NP
(Be in someone's black
1
V + N + C + Adj (Gần mực thì đen, gần đèn thì rạng.)
1
books)
V + ProN + Adj (+ C + Adj)
(Beat someone black and blue, Bleed someone white)
2
V + Adj + V + Adj (Đổi trắng thay đen, Ăn trắng mặc trơn)
2
V + (Art) + Adj + N/
NP
(Show the white feather, etc)
4 V + N + Adj + N
(Lo bò trắng răng) 1
V + ProN + Pre + Art + Adj + N/NP
(Mark something with a white stone)
1 V + N + V + N
(Đổi trắng thay đen) 1
V + Art + N + Adj
(Paint the town red) 1 None 0
V + ProN + C + ProN + V + Adj + Pre + Art + N
(Do something until you are blue in the face)
1 None 0
Total 11 6
Table 3.2: Verb Phrase Structures of English and Vietnamese Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour
According to the above verb phrase structure data, we can see that the difference in syntax in both languages is sort of large. In English, there are 7 basic syntactic structures; the foremost popular is "V + (Art) + Adj + N/ NP"
with 4; together with other syntaxes like "V + ProN + Adj (+ C + Adj)", "V +
N". As for Vietnamese, the syntax "V + Adj + V + Adj" is the most with 2 examples. For the remaining of the syntax, there are not many examples.
3. English and Vietnamese Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour with adjective phrase structures
English Occurrence Vietnamese Occurrence Adj + N/ NP
(black box, red alert, etc)
9 Adj + N + V
(Trắng mắt ra) 1
Adj + Adj + N/ NP
(Big white chief) 1
Adj + N + (C) + Adj + N
(Trong ngọc trắng ngà, Xanh vỏ đỏ lòng, etc)
4
Adj + Pre + N + C + N
(Red in tooth and claw)
1
Adj + N + C + V (Đen đầu thì bỏ, đỏ đầu thì nuôi)
1
Adj + Pre + (Art) + N/NP
(reds under the bed, green about (or around or at) the gills)
2
Adj + N + C + N (Vàng mây thì gió, đỏ mây thì mưa)
1
Total 13 7
Table 3.3: Adjective Phrase Structures of English and Vietnamese Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour
According to the statistics, we see that the number of English idioms and proverbs denoting colour in terms of adjective phrase structures is much higher than in Vietnamese. Specifically, in English there are 13 occurrences while Vietnamese have only 7 times. The most common syntactic structure in English is "Adj + N/ NP", followed by "Adj + Pre + (Art) + N/ NP". In Vietnamese, the structure "Adj + N + (C) + Adj + N" accounts for over half of the occurrence
frequency of adjective phrases in Vietnamese with 4 times. Subsequent structures appear only once.
4. English and Vietnamese Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour with adverb phrase structures
English Occurrence Vietnamese Occurrence Adv + Pre + Art + N
(Out of the blue) 1 None 0
Adv + Pre + Art + Adj + N
(Once in a blue moon)
1 None 0
Total 2 0
Table 3.4: Adverb Phrase Structures of English and Vietnamese Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour
The adverb phrase structure of idioms and proverbs denoting color only appears in English but not in Vietnamese and it is also extremely rare.
Specifically, there are only 2 of its structures in English, which are "Adv + Pre + Art + N", "Adv + Pre + Art + Adj + N".
5. English and Vietnamese Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour with prepositional phrase structures
English Occurrence Vietnamese
Occurren ce Pre + Art + N
(In the black, In the red)
2 None 0
Pre + Art + Adj + N (Beyond the black stump)
1 None 0
Pre + Adj + C + Adj
(In black and white) 1 None 0
Pre + Art + N + C + Adj + N
(Between the devil and the deep blue sea)
1 None 0
Total 5 0
Table 3.5: Prepositional Phrase Structures of English and Vietnamese Idioms denoting colour
Similar to the adverb phrase structure, the prepositional phrase structure of the idioms and proverbs denoting colour only appears in English but not in Vietnamese. With 4 common structures are "Pre + Art + N", "Pre + Art + Adj + N", "Pre + Adj + C + Adj", "Pre + Art + N + C + Adj + N".
6. English and Vietnamese Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour with simple sentence structures
English Vietnamese
Occurrence Occurrence
S + V + Art + N
(two blacks don't make a white)
1 S + V + N
(Chó đen giữ mực) 1
S + V + ProN
(A black mark against someone)
1
S + V + N + Adj (Mạ úa cấy lúa chóng xanh, Quả xanh gặp nanh sắc, etc)
4
S + V + Art + Adj + N
(A green Yule makes a fat churchyard)
1
S + V + Adj + C + V + N
(Lửa đã đỏ lại bỏ thêm rơm)
1
Total 3 6
Table 3.6: Simple Sentence Structures of English and Vietnamese Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour
Based on the statistics of simple sentence structures of idioms and proverbs denoting colour, we see that the frequency of occurrence of examples in Vietnamese is quite higher than in English.
Vietnamese has 6 occurrences with 3 structures: "S + V + N", "S + V + N + Adj", "S + V + Adj + C + V + N".
In English, the structures are divided into 3 types: "S + V + Art + N", "S + V + ProN", "S + V + Art + Adj + N".
7. English and Vietnamese Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour with complex sentence structures
English Vietnamese
Occurrence Occurrence
S + V + N// V + N + Adj + C + V + S + Adj
(February fill dyke, be it black or be it white)
1
S + V + NP + Adj// V + NP + V + NP (Lọng vàng che nải chuối xanh, tiếc con chim loan phượng đậu nhành tre khô)
1
S + V + Art + N + C + V + Adj + Adv
(Blue are the hills that are far away)
1
S + V + N + Adv// C + V + N + Adj
(Kiến đen tha trứng lên cao, thế nào cũng có mưa rào rất to)
1
S + V + N + V + Adj + C + Adj + C + S + V + N
(It doesn't matter a cat is black or white as long as it catches mice)
1
S + V/Adj + N + Adj + N// S + V/ Adj + N + Adj + N
(Tua rua mọc, vàng cây héo lá, tua rua lặn, chết cá chết tôm)
1
None 0 S + V + N + C + S + 1
Adj + N
(Ai ăn trầu thì nấy đỏ môi)
None 0
S + V + N// S + V + N (Mưa tránh chỗ trắng, nắng tránh chỗ đen, etc)
2
None 0
S + V + N// S + Adj + V + N + Adv
(Giàu ăn ba bữa, khó cũng đỏ lửa ba lần)
1
Total 3 7
Table 3.7: Complex Sentence Structures of English and Vietnamese Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour
The complex sentence structures of Vietnamese idioms and proverbs involve color far more than in English. It has up to 7 common structures and 7 occurrences. For instance, the structure "S + V + N // S + V + N"; "S + V/Adj + N + Adj + N// S + V/ Adj + N + Adj + N"; etc. As for English, there are 3 following structures: "S + V + N // V + N + Adj + C + V + S + Adj", "S + V + Art + N + C + V + Adj + Adv", "S + V + N + V + Adj + C + Adj + C + S + V + N".
8. English and Vietnamese Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour with comparative sentence structures
In English
Comparative Sentences Occurrence
To a lower degree
N + V + Adj + CW+ ProN + V
(The devil is not so black as he is painted) 1 To the Same
Degree
Adj + CW+ (Art) + N/ NP
(white as a sheet / ghost, red as a beetroot) 2
CW+ Art + Adj + N/ NP + Pre + Art + N/
NP
(like a red rag to a bull)
1
CW+ Art + Adj + N
(like a blue-arsed fly) 1
To A Higher Degree
CW+ Adj + C + Adj
(Better dead than red) 1
N + V + Adv + (Adj + CW) + Pre + Art + Adj + N + Pre + Art + N
(The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence)
1
Total 7
Table 3.8: Comparative Sentence Structures of English Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour
In Vietnamese
Comparative Sentences Occurrence
To a lower
degree None 0
To the same degree
Adj + CW+ N/NP
(Đen như cột nhà cháy, etc) 4
N + Adj + CW+ N
(Mặt đỏ như gấc, Mặt vàng như nghệ) 2
To a higher degree
(Adv) + V + N + Adv + N + CW+ V + Adv+ N
(Thà rằng được sẻ trên tay còn hơn được hứa trên mây hạc vàng)
1
Total 7
Table 3.9: Comparative Sentence Structures of Vietnamese Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour
The distribution ratio of idioms and proverbs denoting colour with comparative structure in English and Vietnamese is balance. They are mostly concentrated at the same degree comparison. As for example, within the English comparative structure, we have: "Adj + CW+ (Art) + N/ NP", "CW+ Art + Adj + N" and "CW+ Art + Adj + N/ NP + Pre + Art + N/ NP". As for Vietnamese, we see two common structures: "Adj + CW+ N/NP", "N + Adj + CW+ N".
However, in the lower-level comparative structure, only English exists the structure ―N + V + Adj + CW+ ProN + V" and Vietnamese idioms and proverbs denoting colour are absent.
Finally, about the higher degree comparative structure, while Vietnamese only have the structure "(Adv) + V + N + Adv + N + CW+ V + Adv+ N", then English has 2 used structures as "CW+ Adj + C + Adj" and "N + V + Adv + (Adj + CW) + Pre + Art + Adj + N + Pre + Art + N".
Summary:
Table 3.10: A summary of English and Vietnamese Idioms denoting colour in Syntactic Features
Structure English Vietnamese
Noun phrase
NP N/ NP + Adj
Art + Adj + N/ NP N + Adj + N + Adj N/ NP + N/ NP N/ NP + N/ NP (Art) + N + Pre + Art +
N
N + Adj + C + N + N + Adj + C + N
NP + Pre + N, NP N/ NP + Adj + N/ NP
NP, V + ProN N + Adj + C + N + Adj + N + Adj + N
N + Pre + Adj + N None Art + Adv + Adj + N None
Verb phrase V + N V + Adj + N
V + Pre + (Art) + N/NP V + N + C + Adj
V + ProN + Adj (+ C +
Adj) V + Adj + V + Adj
V + (Art) + Adj + N/ NP V + N + Adj + N V + ProN + Pre + Art +
Adj + N/NP V + N + V + N
V + Art + N + Adj None V + ProN + C + ProN +
V + ADJ + Pre + Art + N None
Adjective phrase
Adj + N/ NP Adj + N + V
Adj + Adj + N/ NP Adj + N + (C) + Adj + N Adj + Pre + N + (C + N) Adj + N + C + V
Adj + Pre + (Art) + N/NP Adj + N + C + N Adverb
phrase
Adv + Pre + Art + N None Adv + Pre + Art + Adj +
N None
Prepositional phrase
Pre + Art + N None Pre + Art + Adj + N None Pre + Adj + C + Adj None Pre + Art + N + C + Adj
+ N None
Simple sentences
S + V + ProN S + V + N
S + V + Art + N S + V + N + Adj
S + V + Art + Adj +N S + V + Adj + C + V + N
Complex sentences
S + V + N// V + N + Adj + C + V + S + Adj
S + V + NP + Adj// V + NP + V + NP
S + V + Art + N + C + V + Adj + Adv
S + V + N + Adv// C + V + N + Adj
S + V + N + V + Adj + C + Adj + C + S + V + N
S + V/Adj + N + Adj + N// S + V/ Adj + N + Adj + N
None S + V + N + C + S + Adj + N
None S + V + N// S + V + N
None S + V + N// S + Adj + V + N
+ Adv
Comparative sentences
N + V + Adj + CW+
ProN + V None
Adj + CW+ (Art) + N/
NP Adj + CW+ N/NP
CW+ Art + Adj + N/ NP
+ Pre + Art + N/ NP N + Adj + CW+ N CW+ Art + Adj + N None
CW+ ADJ + C + ADJ (Adv) + V + N + Adv + N + CW+ V + Adv+ N
N + V + Adv + (Adj + CW) + Pre + Art + Adj + N + Pre + Art + N
None
To help people better understand, the table below will help people have an improved overview of the syntax of idioms and proverbs within the two languages:
Table 3.11: Summarizes the occurrence of structures used in English and Vietnamese Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour
Structures
English Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour
Vietnamese Idioms and Proverbs denoting colour Occurrence Rate Occurrence Rate
Noun phrase 23 34.3% 17 34%
Verb phrase 11 16.4% 6 12%
Adjective
phrase 13 19.4% 7 14%
Adverb 2 3% 0 0%
phrase
Prepositional
phrase 5 7.5% 0 0%
Simple
sentence 3 4.5% 6 12%
Complex
sentence 3 4.5% 7 14%
Comparative
sentence 7 10.5% 7 14%
Total 67 100% 50 100%
From the above data table, we are able to see that idioms and proverbs denoting colour in English mostly focus on phrases, while in Vietnamese, they appear quite many in sentence forms. However, most idioms and proverbs in both languages focus mainly on noun phrase structure. Specifically, there are 34% in Vietnamese and 34.3% in English. In Vietnamese, there is no structure of adverb phrases and prepositional phrases like in English. The biggest similarity in both languages is that there are 7 occurrences within the comparative sentence structure.