Idiom

Idiom
Idiom Id"i*om ([i^]d"[i^]*[u^]m), n. [F. idiome, L. idioma, fr. Gr. 'idi`wma, fr. 'idioy^n to make a person's own, to make proper or peculiar; fr. 'i`dios one's own, proper, peculiar; prob. akin to the reflexive pronoun o"y^, o'i^, 'e`, and to "eo`s, 'o`s, one's own, L. suus, and to E. so.] 1. The syntactical or structural form peculiar to any language; the genius or cast of a language. [1913 Webster]

Idiom may be employed loosely and figuratively as a synonym of language or dialect, but in its proper sense it signifies the totality of the general rules of construction which characterize the syntax of a particular language and distinguish it from other tongues. --G. P. Marsh. [1913 Webster]

By idiom is meant the use of words which is peculiar to a particular language. --J. H. Newman. [1913 Webster]

He followed their language [the Latin], but did not comply with the idiom of ours. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

2. An expression conforming or appropriate to the peculiar structural form of a language. [1913 Webster]

Some that with care true eloquence shall teach, And to just idioms fix our doubtful speech. --Prior. [1913 Webster]

3. A combination of words having a meaning peculiar to itself and not predictable as a combination of the meanings of the individual words, but sanctioned by usage; as, an idiomatic expression; less commonly, a single word used in a peculiar sense. [1913 Webster +PJC]

It is not by means of rules that such idioms as the following are made current: ``I can make nothing of it.'' ``He treats his subject home.'' --Dryden. ``It is that within us that makes for righteousness.'' --M. Arnold. --Gostwick (Eng. Gram.) [1913 Webster]

Sometimes we identify the words with the object -- though by courtesy of idiom rather than in strict propriety of language. --Coleridge. [1913 Webster]

4. The phrase forms peculiar to a particular author; as, written in his own idiom. [1913 Webster]

Every good writer has much idiom. --Landor. [1913 Webster]

5. Dialect; a variant form of a language. [1913 Webster]

Syn: Dialect.

Usage: {Idiom}, {Dialect}. The idioms of a language belong to its very structure; its dialects are varieties of expression ingrafted upon it in different localities or by different professions. Each county of England has some peculiarities of dialect, and so have most of the professions, while the great idioms of the language are everywhere the same. See {Language}.


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Synonyms:
(sanctioned by use in any language) / (of a language), /


Look at other dictionaries:

  • idiom — IDIÓM, idiomuri, s.n. Termen general care denumeşte o unitate lingvistică (limbă, dialect sau grai). [pr.: di om] – Din fr. idiome. Trimis de gall, 13.09.2007. Sursa: DEX 98  IDIÓM s. v. dialect, grai, limbă. Trimis de siveco, 13.09.2007. Sursa …   Dicționar Român

  • Idiom — Sn Spracheigentümlichkeit, Phrase per. Wortschatz fach. (16. Jh.) Entlehnung. Über ml. idiōma entlehnt aus gr. idíōma Eigentümlichkeit , besonders sprachliche Eigentümlichkeit (Sprachausprägung oder Phrase); dieses zu gr. ídios eigen, selbst . In …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • idiom — idìōm m <G idióma> DEFINICIJA 1. lingv. a. svaki od entiteta jezika koji se ne želi označiti ni kao jezik, ni kao dijalekt, ni kao govor b. poseban i prepoznatljiv govor nekog kraja ili pojedinog govornika c. riječ ili izraz svojstven nekom …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • idiom — [id′ē əm] n. [< Fr & LL: Fr idiome < LL idioma < Gr idiōma, peculiarity, idiom < idios: see IDIO ] 1. the language or dialect of a people, region, class, etc. 2. the usual way in which the words of a particular language are joined… …   English World dictionary

  • idiom — in the context of language has two principal meanings: (1) the manner of expression that characterizes a language, and (2) a group of words that has a meaning not deducible from the individual words. The first can therefore be seen as the sum… …   Modern English usage

  • idiom — {{/stl 13}}{{stl 8}}rz. mnż, D. u, Mc. idiommie {{/stl 8}}{{stl 20}} {{/stl 20}}{{stl 12}}1. {{/stl 12}}{{stl 7}} wyrażenie lub zwrot językowy, którego nie należy rozumieć dosłownie, ponieważ jego znaczenie nie wynika ze znaczeń poszczególnych… …   Langenscheidt Polski wyjaśnień

  • Idiom — (v. gr.), 1) Eigenthümlichkeit, bes. einer Sprache; 2) bestimmte Art des Ausdruckes; wozu auch die besondere Aussprache u. Ton, die Wörter u. ihre Bedeutung, die Wortfügung u. die ganze Verbindung der Rede gehören, z.B. I. der gebildeten Stände;… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Idiōm — (griech.), »Eigentümlichkeit«, besonders einer Sprache oder einer Mundart, daher überhaupt soviel wie Sprache oder Mundart …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Idiom — Idiōm (grch., d.i. Eigentümlichkeit), eigentümliche Sprechweise, Mundart, Dialekt; Idiomăta, die Wesenseigentümlichkeiten der beiden Naturen Christi; idiomātisch, das I. betreffend, dazu gehörig …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Idiom — Idiom, Eigenthümlichkeit, charakteristische Besonderheit in der Aussprache: Mundart. B–l …   Damen Conversations Lexikon

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