The Main Principles of English Phraseology/Classification of phraseological units

=Classification of phraseological units= Classification of phraseological units is one of the acute issues of phraseology. There are different approaches to classification of phraseological units on the basis of different criterions.

Charles Bally was the first scientist, who systematized phraseological units on the basis of its semantic unification. He constructs his classification on the basis of stability level: combinations in which freedom of components group (phraseological groups) and combinations deprived of such freedom (phraseological unitits).

A. Smirnitskiy in his classification separates phraseological units and idioms. Phraseological units are stylistically neutral combinations, deprived of metaphoricity. It is necessary to mark that the term “phraseological unit” stated by Smirnitskiy, differs from generally accepted understanding. Smirnitskiy classifies the units like get up, fall in love and others to phraseological units. Idioms are based on shifting meaning, on a metaphor, which the speaker clearly understands. Specific feature of such idioms is a bright stylistic color, remoteness from common neutral style, for example: take the bull by the horns, dead as a doornail. N.Amosova in turn points out two types of phraseological units - phrasems and idioms. A phrasem in her opinion is a unit of constant context, in which the indicatory minimum is necessary for the actualization of this word meaning, is a single one possible and constant. For example - beef tea, knit one's brows, black frost. The second component is an indicatory minimum for the first. Idioms as against phrasems in N. Amosova opinion – are units of constant context in which indicative and semantically accomplishable elements make up an equality and both are represented by general lexical content of a word combination. Meaning of an idiom acts as an integral meaning of the whole combination, for example - red tape, show a clean pair of heels.

Besides common semantic signs, a basis for classification of phraseologisms is their structure.

A. Kunin, in turn, differs three large groups of phraseological units: nominative, communicative, nominative-communicative.

Nominative are:

a) nominal – mark a person, subject, main component – noun: a dog in the manger. b) adjective – mark a quality characteristic of a person or a subject: long in the tooth, alive and kicking , high and mighty. c) adverbial and prepositional – meaning of a quality action charasteristics: by hook or by crook, on the off-chance.

Nominative-communicative phraseologisms perform a function of naming the action; main component is the verb: carry the day, play with fire.

Communicative group – consists of proverbs and sayings: a great ship asks deep waters, good health is above wealth.