Aspects of idiom*

Abstract

Weinreich (1969) defines an idiom as "a complex expression whose meaning cannot be derived from the meanings of its elements." This writer has collected examples of idioms from the English, German, Australian English, and Quebec French dialects (Appendix I) in order to examine the properties of the idiom, to explore in the literature the current concepts of idiom, and to relate relevant knowledge gained by these processes to the teaching of English as a Second Language.