A Comparison of the Origin of Idioms in Mandarin and Indonesian
Abstract: In language, idioms
can function as stand-alone semantic units because they contain whole concepts.
These concepts, formed from human thought, can be explored to discover cultural
elements which served as the basis for idiom creation. If the origins of an
idiom are known or recognized, that idiom’s meaning can be understood more
easily. Idioms are frequently used by language communities in their day-to-day
lives. However, the origins of idioms in the Indonesian language has almost
never been discussed or researched. This article compares the origins of idioms
in Mandarin and in Indonesian. It finds that the origins of idioms in Mandarin
and in Indonesian are diverse, but in general fit one of two main types: they
may be adapted from foreign languages (most importantly in idioms related to
religion), or be created within the society and reproduced from generation to
generation. Idioms can be traced to either the written tradition or the oral
tradition. Idioms in Mandarin generally originate from the written tradition,
whereas idioms in Indonesian tend to originate from orality. This study uses
the theory of meaning formation first proposed by Ogden and Richards (1911).
The comparative method of data analysis is used here, as the origins of idioms
in Mandarin and Indonesian are compared.
Author: Huang Haiyan, I Dewa
Putu Wijana, Tatang Hariri
Journal Code: jpantropologigg160018