The Use of Idioms Containing the Lexemes “Good” and “Bad” in English Literary Texts: A Pragmatic and Linguocultural Perspective
Keywords:
phraseological units, idioms, good and bad lexemes, pragmatics, cultural semantics, English literature, stylistic nuance, emotional expression, evaluative meaningAbstract
This article explores idioms containing the lexemes "good" and "bad" in English literary texts through the lens of pragmatics and linguocultural analysis. Drawing from both classical and modern literary works, the study investigates how such idioms reflect not only the values and judgments of the speaker but also deeper cultural scripts embedded in language. As a teacher and researcher, I have personally observed that many of these idioms carry rich emotional and evaluative functions, often going unnoticed in traditional linguistic descriptions. By applying a contrastive and context-sensitive approach, this article aims to highlight their discursive relevance and cultural resonance.
References
1. Cowie, A. P. (ed.). Phraseology: Theory, Analysis, and Applications. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998, p. 4.
2. Teliya, V. N. Phraseological Meaning as a Linguocultural Phenomenon. Moscow: Languages of Russian Culture, 1996.
3. Wierzbicka, A. Cross-Cultural Pragmatics: The Semantics of Human Interaction. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 2003.
4. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2004 [1925].
5. Ellroy, James. L.A. Confidential. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 1990.
6. (Dickens, 1848), Charles. Oliver Twist. London: Penguin Classics, 2003 [1838].