A Study of the Motivation and Etymology of Idioms

摘要

It is a significant task to compare the true etymology with the synchronically relevant motivational basis. And second, in the case of some idioms "etymological memory" may have a role to play in motivation. In these cases, a given idiom may exhibit restrictions on its use that can only be explained by addressing its history, i.e. these idioms cannot be used in contexts that are not compatible with their etymological origins.