It is up to each one of us to make an effort, no matter how small, to help them on their way, so that they may continue to entertain, calm, comfort and delight future generations. For all these reasons, idioms should be seen with affection and respect, for the centuries of historical baggage which they carry. Nothing can equal the joy we feel when we come across differing world views, and realize how the way we say things in our own “country” has traveled in time and in space, not only changing phonetically but also in its moods, colors, flavors and sensations. We also become aware of the biases which form other people’s perception of what we call reality. By learning what words are used in other languages in order to greet, offend, show joy or sadness, grief, indifference, euphoria or ecstasy, passion, pain and love, we gain entry to the universe of others, and discover different ways of thinking and judging. The knowledge of the uses and meanings of idiomatic metaphors in languages other than our own is, in a way, a gateway giving us access to tolerance, understanding and respect for other cultures. In the same way that idioms define our own personality as speakers of a given language, discovering the peculiar expressions of other languages can help us transcend our ethnocentrism and open our minds to others. Figurative idioms establish a kind of linguistic solidarity, and knowing them is essential for being accepted as part of it. These units exert an intrinsically unifying effect which binds all those who share them with us to our own “language community”. They fill our collective imagination, transporting our emotions, memories, tears and smiles through time and space, and in so doing are truly the joy and the color of language. They constitute over 50% of the lexical inventory of any given language, and, in their often surprising combinations, they are the main emissaries of the sounds, colors and images unique to each tongue. The central role that these units represent in the different natural languages is often not realized. This book is dedicated to all those who have chosen to research the field of phraseological units, and who engage untiringly in their identification, classification, comparison and contrast, analyzing structures, meanings and applications.
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