Publications

Publication details [#2063]

Balzer, Berit. 2001. Phraseologische Vergleiche, polyglott (A multilingual comparison of phraseologisms). Modern Language Quarterly 9 : 165–181. 17 pp.
Publication type
Article in journal
Publication language
German

Abstract

The present article deals with common phraseological comparisons (similes) in German and their possible counterparts in English, French, and Spanish. This phenomenon is a universal one as to its genesis and communicative purpose, but it is often carried out by using a variety of linguistic means. For this reason, we have compiled four different listings: (1) complete or near-complete equivalence in structure and word-choice, we consider the semantic field the similes are taken from; (2) lexical difference with similar meaning and same nexus; (3) similar meaning without an explicit nexus in one or more of the target languages - a conceptual listing is provided as an aid for the user; (4) similar meaning through a metaphor in the target languages. We also give several examples of so-called false friends. By these different approaches, we want to make the point that we are dealing with the same idiomatic phenomenon, which should be treated as a separate group in future lexicographic compilations. (LLBA 2003, vol. 37, n. 2)