A SEMANTIC ANALYSIS ON ENGLISH IDIOMS

By Setiyawan (081392299422)

PART I
INTRODUCTION

Linguistics is the scientific study of language of the science of the language (Oxford
Advanced Learners Dictionary of Current English, 1974: 495). Based on the definition,
people can say language is a means of communication. If we look at typical act of
communication by means of language, two aspects seem quite clear. First, it is obvious
that language makes use sound. Second, this sound is used to convey meaning from
speaker to hearer. John B Carrol (1969: 5) says that language is a communication system
consisting merely of sound and meaning
Knowing language knows how to produce and understand sentences with particular
meanings. The study of linguistics meaning is called semantics. Semantics is concerned
with the meaning words, morphemes, phrases and sentences. The meaning of morphemes
and words are defined in part by their semantics and feature. There is a theory from
Edward Arnold (1975: 9) in his book, “Learning How to Mean Exploration in the
Development of Language that the term semantics is not to be understood in the restricted
sense of Lexicosemantics: i. e., concerned with the meaning of words.
Semantics, roughly defined is the study of meaning. In order for meaning to be
successfully studied, of course, it must be made clear just what meaning is. Although
most people do not feel confused about nature of meaning, very few people would find a
precise explanation of easy to give. In fact, meaning is a highly complex, many faceted,
phenomenon and any complete explanation of it must account for surprisingly wide
variety of the different facts. The facts like these have sometimes led linguistics to under
value the significance of lexical meaning of the words.
The Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms explains over 7,000 idioms
current in British, American and Australian English, helping learners to understand them
and use them with confidence. The Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms, based on
the 200 million words of American English text in the Cambridge International Corpus,
unlocks the meaning of more than 5,000 idiomatic phrases used in contemporary
American English. Full-sentence examples show how idioms are really used.
The Cambridge University Press is respected worldwide for its commitment to
advancing knowledge, education, learning, and research. It was founded on a royal
charter granted to the University by Henry VIII in 1534 and has been operating
continuously as a printer and publisher since the first Press book was printed in 1584.
An idiom is a phrase where the words together have a meaning that is different from
the dictionary definitions of the individual words, which can make idioms hard for ESL
students and learners to understand
There are some criteria of the types of meaning, Abdul Chaer in his book,
“Pengantar Semantik Bahasa Indonesia” said that the meaning based on semantics types
are lexical and grammatical meaning. Based on the existence of the referent of the words,
meaning can be classified into referential and non reference meaning. Based on sense
value, meaning can be word meaning and term meaning or common meaning and specific
meaning. Based on other points of view, meaning consist of associative, collective,
reflective, and idiomatic meaning.
Based on the types of meaning which have mentioned above, the writer limits the
studying meaning especially idiomatic meaning that will be discussed about the meaning
analysis or semantics analysis. The writer chooses about English idiom because from so
and sop much the types of meaning, it is very interesting to be analyzed. It has
uniqueness itself in the meaning.
Knowing a language includes knowing the simple words, compound words and
their meaning. So, in this study the writer will discuss the matters as follows:
1. What is the importance of semantics to analyze English idioms?
2. What is the idiom?
3. What is the relationship between the meaning of idioms and the meaning of the parts
of idiom.
The problem of analysis of the meaning has got attention because the human could
think intellectually. For the writer, this discussion of the meaning is very interesting to
improve and to express the meaning is a main thing in communication. In generally, one
of the benefits learn semantics on English idioms is that to facilitate people to choose and
use word with proper meaning to convey information to the public.
 PART II
DISCUSSION

In this part, the writer will discuss the matters about the definition of semantics, the
definition of idioms and the last discussion is about the relationship between the literal
meaning (semantics analysis) and the idiomatic meaning on English idioms.

A. Semantics
1. The definition of semantics
In linguistics, semantic analysis is the process of relating syntactic
structures, from the levels of phrases, clauses, sentences and paragraphs to the
level of the writing as a whole, to their language-independent meanings, removing
features specific to particular linguistic and cultural contexts, to the extent that
such a project is possible. The elements of idiom and figurative speech, being
cultural, must also be converted into relatively invariant meanings.
According to F. R. Palmer (1995: 1) that semantics is the technical term to
refer to the study of meaning and since meaning is a part of language, semantics is
a part of linguistics. It means that semantics is a science which studies meaning in
language.
As Tarigan stated, “semantics learn about both symbol and sign that state a
meaning, connect a meaning to another and influence to human being and
people.” (Tarigan, 1985: 7). Therefore, semantics includes means of words,
development and the change.
In linguistics, semantics is the subfield that is devoted to the study of
meaning, as borne on the syntactic level of words, phrases, sentences and
sometimes larger units of discourse, generally referred to as texts. As with
theoretical concept and specializations have developed that focus on different
parts of that interaction, for example, the semantics of natural language and
formal language, respectively. (Taken from: http//
www.Dictionary.laborlawtalk.com/semantics)
B. The idiom
1. The definition of Idiom
Idiom is one of an expression whose meaning does not seem to follow
logically from combination words of the meaning. It is also called a group of
words which has meaning that is not to be found in analysis of its part in idiom,
the word or the combination of words can not me meant literally meaning but it
must be meant in the group of words and it is meant contextually.
Lists of idioms used in everyday conversational English, with their meaning
Speak English like a native speaker by learning English idiomatic expressions and
proverbs ("An idiomatic expression as one that is natural for a normal Englishman
to say or write." (H.W.Fowler - Dictionary of Modern English Usage.)

Alphabetical lists of idioms

Ambition-determination Employment - Jobs Negotiations
Anger-irritation Feelings-emotions Number Idioms
Animal & bird Idioms Food Idioms Personality-character
Anxiety - fear Frankness - Sincerity Problems-difficulties
Arguments-disagreements Happiness - Sadness Relationships
Authority - power Health Idioms Safety - Danger
Behaviour idioms Hesitation - Indecision Secrets-indiscretion
Body idioms Honesty-dishonesty Situations
Business - Work Idioms Intelligence-understanding Sports Idioms
Choices - Options Law & Order Success-failure
Clothes Idioms Madness - Insanity Surprise-disbelief
Colour idioms Memory - Remembering Time idioms
Efficiency-Competence Money Idioms Weather-atmosphere

An idiom is a phrase or sentence, whose meaning is not clear from the

meaning of its individual words, and which must be learnt as a whole unit.
The idiom, despite the fact that is consist of more than one word, counts as a
simple expression because its meaning is not compositional, i.e. it is not derivable
compositionally from (i.e. by putting together) the meaning of each constituent
word. (Taken from: http//www.towerqenglish.com.html)
 According to Djajasudarma (1999: 16) that idiom meaning is lexical
meaning formed from many words, the words which are arranged with the other
word combination of words which has the meaning that different from meaning
that different from meaning of the individual words themselves.
2. Structure of Idioms
Idioms are similar in structure to ordinary phrases except that they tend to be
frozen in form and do not readily enter into other combination or allow the word
order to change. Thus,
She put her foot in her mouth.
Has the same structure as
She put her bracelet in her drawer.
But whereas:
The drawer in which she put her bracelet was hers.
Her foot was put in her mouth.
Do not have the idiomatic sense of the sentence she put her foot in her
mouth. On the other hand, the words of some idioms can be moved without
affecting.
The expression likes to sit on the fence can not become to sit on a fence or
to sit on the fences. However, there are many changes that can be made to the
idiom.
Some of these changes result in a change in the grammatical structure that
would generally be concerned to be wrong.
To be broken literally means that something is broken.
The lamp is broken so I can not easily read my book.
To be broken is grammatically incorrect but it has the idiomatic meaning of to
have no money.
I am broke and I can not to go movie tonight with my girlfriend.

The following examples contain the literal meaning and the idiomatic meaning.
Verb and adverb (run+around)
To run around (something): to run in a circle around something
 The dog ran around the plant which is behind of my house.
To run around (somewhere): to go to various places to do something
I spent the day running around downtown.
Verb and a preposition (run+into)
To run into (someone or something): to hit or crash into someone or
something
My car ran into the truck on the busy street.
To run into (someone): to meet someone by change
I ran into my friend in a restaurant yesterday.
Verb and adverb and preposition (run+along+with)
To run along with (someone or something): to run beside or at the same pace
as someone or something
The dog ran along with bicycle.
To run along with (someone): to be friends and do things with someone or
with a group
The boy is running around with a bad group of people.

C. The relations of semantics on English idioms toward the literal meaning and the
idiomatic meaning.
According to Victoria Fromkin and Robert Rodman (1988: 232) that the rules of
language are not laws of nature. Only by a “miracle” can the laws of nature be
broken, but he rules of language are broken everyday by everybody. This lawlessness
is not human perversity, but rather another way in which language is put to use.
There was an important of the matter which has known that the study of the
meaning or semantics includes on the words, phrases, clauses, sentences and
discourse. In addition it means knowing fixed phrases, consisting of more than one
word: with meaning that cannot be inferred from the meaning do not apply. Carolyn
Memanis and Deborah stated, “The word meaning normally combine by regular
principles dependent on syntactic structure can be seen vividly from the exceptional
cases where they do not. Such cases are called idioms. Idioms are cases where a
sequence of words has a fixed meaning which is not composed of literal meaning of
its words by regular principles” in the sentences.
He kicked the bucket. Generally means He died
We cannot determine this meaning by combining the meaning of “kick” and the
meaning of “the bucked” in the normal way, but rather we must learn the special
meaning of the phrase “kick the bucket” as if it were a new word.
Similarly,
 In to pull someone’s leg or red hearing
We can not just understand the meaning combining “pull with leg”, or “red with
hearing”.
These are some examples of English idioms will be discussed as follows:
 All right is not meant literally from the word “all” and “right” but it can to be:
 All right (1): expression of reluctant agreement
A: “Come to the party with me, please!”
B: “Oh, all right. I don’t want to, but I will”
 All right (2): fair, not particularly good
A: “how is your chemistry class?”
B: “It’s all right, I guess, but it’s not the best class. I’ve ever had”
 All right (3): unharmed: in satisfactory condition
A: “you don’t look normal, are you all right?”
B: “Yes, but I have a headache”
 Be a piece of cake can literally mean that she shares a pieces of cake
However, the idiomatic meaning of be a piece of cake is that something be very
easy
Bob said that the test was not difficult, but it was a piece of cake.
 Chicken can literally mean is a young bird especially a hen, it is meant
Yet, the idiomatic meaning of chicken (adjective or noun) is cowardly
Fred will never ask Lucy for a date. He is a chicken.
 Make a scene can literally mean is one makes a view.
However, the idiomatic meaning of make a scene is that make a noisy condition
He always makes a scene wherever he is
 To sit on the fence can literally mean that one is sitting on fence
Yet, the idiomatic meaning of to sit on the fence is that one is not making a clear
choice regarding some issues
The politician sat on the fence and world not give opinion about the tax issue
 PART III
CONCLUSION

The study of linguistic meaning is called semantics. The coverage of the meaning or
the semantics analysis namely; the words, the combination of the words or phrases, the
clauses, and the sentences. There was an important of the matter which has known that
the study of the meaning or semantics includes on the words, phrases, clauses, sentences
and discourse. In addition it means knowing fixed phrases, consisting of more than one
word: with meaning that cannot be inferred from the meaning do not apply. One of the
types of the meaning which was discussed is the idioms. The idiom consist of more than
one word with meaning can not be inferred from the meanings of the individual words. It
can have a literal meaning in one situation and different idiomatic meaning in other
situation. It is also called a phrase which doesn’t always follow the normal rules of
meaning and grammar. Most idioms are unique and fixed in their grammatical structure.
An idiom is a phrase or sentence, whose meaning is not clear from the meaning of its
individual words, and which must be learnt as a whole unit. The idiom, despite the fact
that is consist of more than one word, counts as a simple expression because its meaning
is not compositional, i.e. it is not derivable compositionally from (i.e. by putting together)
the meaning of each constituent word. Idioms are similar in structure to ordinary phrases
except that they tend to be frozen in form and do not readily enter into other combination
or allow the word order to change.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Arnold, Edward. 1975. Learning How to Mean Explanation in the Development of

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Carrol, John B. and J. C. Catford, et al. 1968. Linguistics Today. London: Basic Books,
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Chaer, Abdul. 1995. Pengantar Semantik Bahasa Indonesia. Jakarta: Rineka Cipta.

Djajasudarma, F. R. 1999. Semantik 2: Pemahaman Ilmu Makna. Bandung: P.T Refika

Aditama

Fromkin, Victoria and Robert Rodman. 1974. An Introduction to Language. United

States: Longman Inc.

Hornby, A. S. 1974. Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary of Current English. Oxford:

Oxford University Press.

McManis, Carolyn and Deborah Stollenwerk, et al. 1987. Materials for on Introduction
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Palmer, F. R. 1995. Semantics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Simanjuntak, Herpinus. 1984. Kamus Idiom Lengkap. Jakarta: Kesaint Blanc.

Tarigan, Henry Guntur. 1985. Pengkajian Semantik. Bandung: Angkasa.

Internet References:
http://www.dictionary.laborlawtalk.com/semantics
http://www.towerqenglish.com.html
http://www.worldnetdictionary.com