THE STUDY OF PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS (ZOONYMS) IN CHINESE LINGUISTICS

Abstract

In the article a problem of the semantic specificity of phraseological units with an animalistic component – zoonyms, which are common in chinese linguistics. In the course of the study, the etymology of seven common chinese phraseological units is considered in detail: chi. 指鹿为马 ‘to point at a deer and call it a horse’; chi. 如鱼得水 ‘like a fish caught in water’; chi. 一箭双雕 ‘to lay two hawks with one arrow’; chi. 画蛇添足 ‘drawing a snake, draw its legs’; chi. 缘木求鱼 ‘climb a tree in search of fish’; chi. 鱼目混珠 ‘pass off a fish eye for pearls’; chi. 叶公龙龙 ‘Prince Ye-gong’s love for dragons’. As part of the scientific research, the author also examines three groups of chinese zoonyms, including the concepts of “snake”, “dog”, “horse”. In total, the article examines 22 chinese phraseological units with an animalistic component.