Abstract
Idiom variation is a ubiquitous linguistic phenomenon which has raised a lot of research questions. The past approach was either formal or functional. Both of them did not pay much attention to cognitive factors of language users. By putting idiom variation in the framework of linguistic subjectivity, we have offered a new perspective in the studying idiom variation by giving due consideration to the cognitive factors underlying the use of idiom. As a grammatical unit with idiosyncratic features, idiom is pervasive in language and it performs special function. Variation of idiom performs pragmatic functions by conveying extra meaning. There are underlying cognitive motivation for idiom variation. By putting idiom in the theoretic framework of linguistic subjectivity, we can say that idiom variation can be regarded as the results of people’s subjective choice to achieve the expression of people’s stance and affect.
Highlights
Idioms constitute one important part of the language and culture
Idiom variation caused by metaphor (“We shall continue to operate on the Italian donkey at both ends, with a carrot and with a stick” from “with a carrot and with a stick”.)
Idiom variations reflect the expression of self and the representation of a speaker’s perspective or point of view
Summary
Idioms constitute one important part of the language and culture. Knowing a language includes knowing idioms in that language. Different from ordinary phrases, idioms tend to be frozen in form and meaning and don’t allow change in structure and meaning. Variation is one important aspect to idiom. The words of some idioms can be moved or substituted by other words. The syntactic structure of idioms can be altered. Some idioms function as normal sequence of grammatical words. They have changes in tense and aspect. All these changes contribute to the creation of idiom variation. Idiom variations are the results of people’s creative use of language, expressing people’s subjectivity
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