Modern everyday realities in neo-phraseological locutions

Abstract

This article examines the ability of the language to include new everyday realities in neologisms, namely in recently formed phraseological locutions in the German language. The Russian phraseological units (primarily idioms) are involved for comparative purposes. It is demonstrated that the process of creating phraseological units is not left far back in the past, but remains to the present day. The article considers one of the aspects of figurative reflection of reality by means of phraseological neologisms that emerged in the XIX and XX centuries. Phraseological locutions, and idioms in particular, which designate everyday realities, incorporate valuable information on the historical and cultural life of the country of the studied language. The conclusion is made on the degree of reflection of everyday realities in phraseology, as well as on possibility of using phraseology for reconstruction of representations on the life of people of a particular generation. Most of the time, neo-phraseological locutions occur in the language through the metaphor based on figurative reinterpretation of the phenomenon, or relevant situation. Restoration of the resemblance of situation may contribute to using phraseology for reconstructing the representations on the life of people of a particular generation. However, restoration of the image of the past is not always accurate. The emergence of certain phraseological units correlates with a particular historical situation or event.