A Study Of English Idiom Variations: From The Perspective Of Cognitive Semantics

Idioms are fixed expressions with relatively steady lexical collocations, structures and meanings. However, in order to achieve expressive effects, the speaker often creates idioms with variant forms by replacement, addition or deletion of words or alteration of idiomatic structure and meaning. These variant forms are called idiom variations. Literature shows that linguists focus on the relationship between meaning and structure in the study of idiom variations, which is difficult to explain how the degree of idiom transformational ability is determined and why idiom variations can be generated. This paper attempts to apply cognitive semantic theories to the study of the phenomena of English idiom variations. The main content is divided into three parts.First, analysis of the relationship between idiom transformational ability and cognition shows that people's cognitive pattern directly influences the compositional degree of idioms. Second, the Prototype Theory, the theories of cognitive model and the Iconicity Theory will be explored to explain the reasons for the generation of idiom variations. For instance, the Prototype Theory accounts for the phenomena of lexical substitution and word class conversion in English idioms; cognitive models directly influence people's comprehension to idiomatic concepts and they can explain the generation and source of new meanings in English idiom variations; the Iconicity Theory explores the corresponding relationship between structural arrangement and meaning in English idiom variations. Third, the driving force of English idiom variations is analyzed from internal and external factors. Internal factors usually serve the needs of external factors. Internal factors are within linguistic system, such as semantic motivation, grammatical motivation and phonological motivation; external factors are beyond linguistic system (e.g. contextual influence and the speaker's subjective attitude) which will change the meaning of idioms and lead to a corresponding change of grammatical structure within idioms.This paper holds that cognition is the power source of incessant creation of idiom variations and the fundamental factor for the generation of most idiom variations; the substantive features of idioms are cognitive, and cognition is the fundamental motive power of the incessant creation of new expressions and meanings. The cognitive semantic study of English idiom variations not only reveals the features of idioms and clarifies the relationship between language innovation and cognition, but also finds out the practical value of idiom variations in effective language communication. Because the flexibility and variability of language is unpredictable, analysis on merely literal meaning and syntax is difficult to understand language, and only cognition can associate linguistic forms with actual meanings. The study shows that cognitive tactics are the best way to comprehend idiom variations, but combination with integrated factors as practical scene, the speaker's subjective attitude, encyclopedia knowledge, cognitive models, cultural and social background will make a better understanding on idiom variations. In sum, the study of English idiom variations from the perspective of cognitive semantics has a certain theoretical value and practical significance.