Idioms: The Origin Story
Not only does every language carry their own idioms, but they are fascinating, little linguistic gems!
Whether you are trying to understand a native culture or a business/work culture, identifying frequently used idioms is a clever way to learn about shared values.
What is an idiom?
All languages are littered with idioms. If you want to understand a people, have a look at their idiomatic phrases.
An idiom is a group of words that convey a meaning beyond the individual words in the phrase; the phrase uses imagery to convey a non-literal meaning.
Huh?
In other words, it’s a common expression whose meaning isn’t related to the literal meaning of the individual words.
¿Qué es eso?
In Mexican culture, there is a phrase that says, “A darle que es mole de olla.” The literal translation of this phrase is, “Dig in, it’s Mole!” whereas the figurative meaning of the phrase is an invitation to do something immediately and in a good mood.
Notice how the literal translation is nearly nonsensical, but if you are Mexican (or familiar with the culture), the phrase represents a very specific call to action.
Similarly, here are two more brilliant Mexican idioms with their literal and figurative meanings:
№1: Echarle mucha crema a sus tacos
- Literal translation: To put too much sour cream on a taco
- Figurative meaning: Exaggerating a situation or your own merits
№2: Más sabe el diablo por viejo, que por diablo
- Literal translation: Know more the devil for being old than for being the devil
- Figurative meaning: The devil knows more because he is old, not because he is a demon; there is wisdom in age
Notice how the literal translations are clunky and awkward; not only because the sentences are translated, but also because the phrases have a meaning beyond their individual words.
And notice that, for those paying attention, the phrases unveil a little window into Mexican culture and values. Interpret that as you will!
Where do idioms come from?
Hm. That’s a bit more complicated.
Although you can trace back the roots and origins for particular idioms within a language (to varying degrees of success), it’s challenging to explain how or why idiomatic phrases develop in general. And seeing as there are roughly 25,000 idiomatic phrases in the English language, you have much to work with when learning English!
Okay, so ignoring the arguing linguists, many idiomatic expressions were not figurative at all — they originated from a very literal place. Over time, the expressions may have then departed from their original roots.
“For instance, spill the beans (meaning to reveal a secret) has been said to originate from an ancient method of democratic voting, wherein a voter would put a bean into one of several cups to indicate which candidate he wanted to cast his vote for. If the jars were spilled before the counting of votes was complete, anyone would be able to see which jar had more beans, and therefore which candidate was the winner. Over time, the practice was discontinued and the idiom became figurative.” Read more.
What makes idioms linguistically unique?
Idioms are curious little creatures, really. They are linguistic rebels!
Compositionality:
The linguistic norm of compositionality maintains that, “… the meaning of a whole should be constructed from the meaning of the parts that make up the whole.” This means that if you understand the meaning of each part of the phrase (or sentence), then you should understand the whole phrase.
Ah, but idioms contradict the norms of compositionality because they are bad-ass.
Taken compositionally, the phrase “Fred kicked the bucket” literally means that Fred actually kicked a bucket. The idiomatic reading of this phrase, however, is non-compositional: Fred died.
The idiomatic reading is, by and large, independent of the literal meaning. Oh, you rebel, you!
Mobility:
Idioms are interesting as some of them can be either mobile or fixed whilst maintaining their idiomatic meaning.
In English, mobile idioms can, “… undergo syntactic modifications such as passivization, raising constructions, and clefting, demonstrating separable constituencies within the idiom.”
What’s the difference between mobile and fixed idioms? Here’s an example:
Mobile:
- I spilled the beans on our project. → The beans were spilled on our project.
Fixed:
- The old man kicked the bucket. → The bucket was kicked (by the old man).
English Learners
If there’s one piece of advice to give for English learners, it’s pay attention to idioms. Using them correctly, within context, and understanding the culture from which they grow will set you apart. They help you communicate on a deeper, more meaningful plane. Whether in the classroom or business boardroom, an appropriately placed idiom can make all the difference.
If you’d like to read about common English idioms in business, read this!
