A Comparative Study Of Animal Idioms In

As we move from one millennium into another, subjects of ethno- and cultural linguistics have become increasingly relevant. Due to the high speed development of human society and the phenomenon of globalization, China’s accelerated economic growth has a substantial influence on the world and Ukraine is no exception. At first glance, the Chinese and Ukrainian cultures and languages have little in common; however, by means of parallel observation, description and comparison, we can draw out their similarities. To achieve this aim, we need to research and compare the Chinese and Ukrainian languages, noting the internal connections between phrasing, grammar and cultural factors during the process of active communication. From a cultural linguistics standpoint,the best way to find these connections is to explore Chinese and Ukrainian animal idioms as basic research material,as animal idioms by nature contain cultural features and may even serve as symbols of the culture in general. These idioms express cultural values and moral standards, thoroughly displaying the distinctiveness and originality of each culture. Animals are a point of commonality for both cultures, as they play significant roles in human lives and traditions. As a result, we can draw out morphemes, semantic components, and symbols that are common to both the Chinese and Ukrainian languages. References to animals themselves or parts of an animal(called partonyms), as a part of an idiom, are semantically productive morphemes and play a crucial role in our cross-cultural approach.Our thesis is divided into four chapters. The first chapter, which is the introduction, contains three items: a description of the goal of our research and its significance, the scientific value and practical effectiveness of this topic,and the present condition of research in this field. The second, third and fourth chapters are the core of the thesis. In the second chapter we give a brief introduction to Chinese and Ukrainian animal idioms and their definitions,origins and evolution. In the first part of the third chapter we systematically compare and analyze basic animal morphemes as parts of animal idioms, common to both languages,but representing different semantic meanings and symbolisms in their respective cultural backgrounds; in the second part, we place emphasis on Chinese and Ukrainian animal idioms and their peculiarities and distinctiveness, as evolved by different geography, cultural traditions, ethnic mentalities, religion, beliefs, etc. In the fourth and last chapter we highlight and summarize common mistakes made by Chinese and Ukrainian learners of animal idioms.We hope that the comparative analysis results of this paper will be useful for Chinese and Ukrainian language learners, help to remove cultural and language barriers, break the shackles of suspicion toward different culture, find points of commonality as well as differences, and widen the global outlook of representatives from both cultures. From a global standpoint,we would like to draw the Eastern and Western cultures closer together, help people to understand each other’s opinions and modes of thinking, develop their tolerance of foreign cultures, improve world harmony and contribute to the cherishment of world peace.