Abstract
Over the years, the taxonomy of Chinese phraseology has been controversial. One of the main challenges for research in the field of phraseology is to discover how to classify all of the phraseological units in a logical and objective way. Based on the concept of grammatical metaphor (Pamies 2014, 2017), this paper tries to prove that a new taxonomy, more similar to the “Western” tradition, with the criteria of fixedness, idiomaticity and multilexematicity could be applied to the Chinese phraseology. Firstly, we examine the terminological problems in the Chinese phraseology and explain the function of metaphor in phraseology. Secondly, we demonstrate how this new taxonomy is applied to all the categories of Chinese phraseology, offering new terminology and definitions for each category. Thirdly, we focus on the slight taxonomic differences regarding phraseology between Chinese and Romanic/Germanic languages. Hopefully the application of this new taxonomy to Chinese phraseology can facilitate an objective comparison with other languages.
Highlights
Introduction4. Application of the new taxonomy to Chinese phraseology
This trend is characterized by the attempt to describe and define the Chinese phraseology according to the functional criteria such as idiomaticity and fixedness
By offering appropriate and representative examples for each category, we have verified that Chinese phraseological stock possesses most of the subcategories included in the taxonomy which Pamies (2007, 2014, 2016, 2017) applied to Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French and English
Summary
One of the main challenges for research in the field of phraseology is to discover how to classify all of the phraseological units in a logical and acceptable way. This traditional concept is confusing as it mixes the rhetorical, prosodic and aesthetic criteria with the functional criteria Some linguists such as Wen Shuobin and Wen Duanzheng (2009), Fang Shenghui (1943), Zhou Zumo (1955), Shi Shi (1979) and Ma Guofan (1978) have recognized the importance and relevance of fixedness [dìng xíng xìng 定 型 性 ] (“impossibility of replacing, moving or inserting components”), idiomaticity [mín zú xìng 民 族 性 ] (“nondeductibility in the global meaning of its components” and “national specificity”) and relative flexibility [líng huó xìng 灵 活 性 ]. The Chinese phraseology is in need of reform to be more clear-cut, accurate and “userfriendly”
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