The Main Principles of English Phraseology/Functions of phraseological units

=Functions of phraseological units=

Phraseological units have a set of specific functions, predetermined by their essence. Some functions are constant or definite, in other words – attribute to all phraseological units in any conditions of their use, others are variative, peculiar to some types of phraseologisms. Definitive are communicative, cognitive and nominative functions.

Communicative function - serves as a means of communication or messages.

Perceptive (or cognitive) function – reflection of real world objects, promoting their cognition.

Nominative function – relatedness of phraseologisms to objects of real world, including situations, as well as replacement of such objects in speech activity with their phraseological names. A phraseologism “brown paper” may be made an example.

According to A.Kunin variative functions are  – volitional and resultative. Volitional function is related to will expression. Resultative function consists in notation of reason that caused the action or state, expressed by a phraseologism.

I. Chernysheva sets a question about text-forming (context forming) function of phraseologisms. Text-forming factors of phraseological units are understood as implementation of linguistic features of these language signs, allowing them equally to grammatical and lexical language means, to create such links in text structure, which are elements of structure and in specific cases - binding means for text fragments. In a such manner, we offer the following classification of phraseological units:

1 nominative – designation of subjects and objects with purpose of more specific description; 2 volitional – expression of speaker’s will; 3 resultative – specification of event source or state; 4 stylistic – achievement of specific expression color; 5 directive – influence on the addressee – control, upbringing, advice; 6 symptomatic – expression of specific feelings, receiving some reaction from the addressee.