An Analysis of the Cognitive Motivations of English Idioms Containing the Verb “Break”
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63002/assm.406.1863Abstract
This study examines the cognitive motivations underlying English idioms containing the verb break, drawing on Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) and conceptual metonymy. It investigates the semantic domains represented by these idioms, their figurative mechanisms and grammatical patterns, and the conceptual mappings that motivate their figurative meanings. Adopting a corpus-based descriptive and analytical design, the study examines 20 idioms identified through cross-referencing three established idiom dictionaries and screening them according to criteria of semantic non-compositionality, conventionality, and usage frequency. Qualitative cognitive-linguistic analysis is supplemented by frequency data from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA). The findings classify the idioms into nine semantic categories. Conceptual metaphor accounts for 18 expressions, whereas two are analyzed primarily in terms of metonymic relationships. The analysis identifies recurring conceptual patterns linking physical disruption to abstract experiences, including social interaction, emotional states, institutional norms, and achievement. The idiom break a leg represents a distinctive case whose conventional meaning is not readily explained by the principal mappings identified in the dataset. The findings suggest that many break idioms can be understood through systematic conceptual relationships grounded in physical experience, although conventional usage and cultural knowledge also contribute to their interpretation. The study provides a structured account of this verb-based idiom set and discusses how cognitive-linguistic analysis may inform idiom instruction in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts.
References
REFERENCES
Alrishan, A., & Smadi, O. (2015). Difficulties EFL Jordanian university students encounter in translating English idioms into Arabic. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(10), 124–133.
Amos, N. T., & Abas, I. H. (2021). An investigation on the comprehension of English idioms among Moi primary school children in Nairobi. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 12(4), 1–8.
Bahns, J., & Eldaw, M. (1993). Should we teach EFL students collocations? System, 21(1), 101–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/0346-251x(93)90010-e
Barcelona, A. (2003). Metaphor and metonymy at the crossroads: A cognitive perspective. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Mouton.
Boers, F. (2000). Metaphor awareness and vocabulary retention. Applied Linguistics, 21(4), 553–571. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/21.4.553
Bui, T. K. L. (2022). An investigation into syntactic and semantic features of English idioms. VNU Journal of Foreign Studies, 39(4), 39-58. https://doi.org/10.63023/2525-2445/jfs.ulis.5065
Celce-Murcia, M., & Olshtain, E. (2000). Discourse and Context in Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Chen, Y., & Lai, H. (2013). Teaching English Idioms as Metaphors through Cognitive-Oriented Methods: A Case in an EFL Writing Class. English Language Teaching, 6(6). https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v6n6p13
Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA). (n.d). Www.english-Corpora.org. https://www.english-corpora.org/coca
Cowie, A. P. (1998). Phraseology: Theory, analysis, and applications. Oxford University Press.
Dang, N. G. (2023). Vietnamese Concepts of Love Through Idioms: A Conceptual Metaphor Approach. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 13(4), 855–866. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1304.06
Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics. Oxford University Press.
Fernando, C. (1996). Idioms and idiomaticity. Oxford University Press.
Firth, J. R. (1957). Papers in linguistics, 1934–1951. Oxford University Press
Gibbs, R. W. (1994). The poetics of mind: Figurative thought, language, and understanding. Cambridge University Press.
Goossens, L. (1990). Metaphtonymy: The interaction of metaphor and metonymy in expressions for linguistic action. Cognitive Linguistics, 1(3), 323–342. https://doi.org/10.1515/cogl.1990.1.3.323
Halliday, M. A. K., & Hasan, R. (1976). Cohesion in English. Longman.
HarperCollins. (2012). Collins COBUILD idioms dictionary (3rd ed.). HarperCollins Publishers.
Johnson, M. (1987). The body in the mind: The bodily basis of meaning, imagination, and reason. University of Chicago Press.
Kövecses, Z. (2002). Metaphor: A practical introduction. Oxford University Press.
Kövecses, Z. (2010). Metaphor: A practical introduction (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Kövecses, Z., & Szabó, P. (1996). Idioms: A view from cognitive semantics. Applied Linguistics, 17(3), 326–355. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/17.3.326
Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. University of Chicago Press.
Langacker, R. W. (1987). Foundations of cognitive grammar: Vol. 1. Theoretical prerequisites. Stanford University Press.
Lewis, M. (2000). Teaching collocation: Further development in the lexical approach. Commercial Colour Press.
Moon, R. (1998). Fixed expressions and idioms in English: A corpus-based approach. Clarendon Press.
Nattinger, J., & De Carrico, J. (1992). Lexical Phrases and Language Teaching. Oxford University Press.
Nesselhauf, N. (2005). Collocations in a Learner Corpus. John Benjamins Publishing.
Nguyen, T. H., & Nguyen, T. L. (2019). English idioms containing human-body parts and their Vietnamese equivalents: A case study of two English novels and their Vietnamese translation versions. VNU Journal of Foreign Studies, 35(3), 83–103. https://doi.org/10.25073/2525-2445/vnufs.4370
Nguyen, T. V. L. (2009). Grammatical and semantic features of some English words and idioms denoting happiness - the feeling of great pleasure. VNU Journal of Science, Foreign Languages, 25(3), 165–173. https://jfs.ulis.vnu.edu.vn/index.php/fs/article/view/2424
Nunberg, G., Sag, I. A., & Wasow, T. (1994). Idioms. Language, 70(3), 491–538. https://doi.org/10.2307/416483
O'Dell, F., & McCarthy, M. (2008). Collocations in use. Cambridge University Press.
Radden, G., & Kövecses, Z. (1999). Towards a theory of metonymy. In K.-U. Panther & G. Radden (Eds.), Metonymy in language and thought (pp. 17–59). John Benjamins.
Siefring, J. (Ed.). (2004). Oxford Dictionary of Idioms (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Sinclair, J. (1991). Corpus, concordance, collocation. Oxford University Press.
Sweetser, E. (1990). From etymology to pragmatics: Metaphorical and cultural aspects of semantic structure. Cambridge University Press.
Truong, T. H. (2025). Exploring Metaphorical Representations of Home and Social Relationships in English and Vietnamese: A Cultural Perspective. The University of Phan Thiet Journal of Science, 3(3), 103-125. https://tapchikhoahocupt.vn/index.php/uptjs/article/view/uptjs-94-2025
Vu, H. C. (2020). Conceptual metaphor A FAMILY IS A HOUSE in Vietnamese. VNU Journal of Foreign Studies, 36(6), 43–56. https://doi.org/10.25073/2525-2445/vnufs.4628
Walter, E. (Ed.). (2006). Cambridge Idioms Dictionary (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Wray, A. (2002). Formulaic language and the lexicon. Cambridge University Press.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Vy Thuy Thi Pham, Long Thanh Nguyen, Han Van Ho
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
