The Study Of Chinese Body Language Idioms

Body language idioms are an indispensable and essential component of Chinese idioms. They are focused on the idioms formed on the basis of copying body gestures and conventional meaning expressed by body or gesture movements. This special kind of idioms is a special item of Chinese idioms as well as a special form of general body language. It has some different elements from non-kinetic idioms as well as from non-idiomatic body language. In this paper, on the basis of others' studies, the discussion and analysis are focused on the following four points concerning body language idioms.The first point is about its classification. The classification is based on its forms , emotions and meanings. By this classification, we can avoid the overlapping parts resulted from the single classifying criterion.The second point is about its semantic analysis. The explorative study is focused on its semantic features and the changes of its derogative and appreciative meanings.The third part is about its rhetorical features. The chief analysis is made of its commonly-used rhetorical devices and its correspondent rhetorical effects.The third point is about its cultural connotation. This special kind of idioms is a mirror of special national psychology in China and reflects such traditional female views in China as "men's superiority and women's inferiority".