The Analysis Of Meaning Formation Of Chinese Idioms About Personage

Previous study of Chinese idioms mainly focused on structure. Study on the meaning of Chinese idioms is not much. Especially, it is little of the study focus on the meaning of Chinese idioms about personage. Therefore, meaning formation of Chinese idioms about personage is analysed from the aspect of meaning in this article.First of all, the summing-up of study of Chinese idioms during last century is made in this article. Systematically research of Chinese idioms is basically devided into three periods: 1, From the beginning of 20th century to the foundation of the People's Republic Of China. 2,From the foundation of the People's Republic Of China to the start of the open-door policy. 3, From the start of the open-door policy up to now. The aim and the value of this study are the following: It can provid a novel sight to the explaination of Chinese idioms in the future.In addition, defition of Chinese idioms is done. It is normally considered that Chinese idioms are used widely in Chinese people, formed from daily life and society, are special language manner of Chinese nationalities. And defition of Chinese idioms about personage is done. Chinese idioms about personage are idioms in which names of personages appear. These personages may be from religion, legend, writings, history and true life. Then 1035 Chinese idioms about personage are sorted into 4 types by their sources: personages from religion and legend(232 items), personages from writings(104 items),personages from history(116 items), personages from true life(583 items). Meantime, meaning formation of Chinese idioms about personage is analysed by the aspect of meaning. Base on the complex sources and their stories of the personages, Chinese idioms about personage contain abundant culture sense and meaning. Chinese idiomss are consist of two parts. The forward part is analogy or odscure description and the following part is explanation of the meaning. In usual well-known sentences, it is just appeared of the first half, and is ignored of the second half which people can still understand in mind, then is instead by the explanation of the meaning at the second half position. In the first part of Chinese idioms about personage, some personages appear, and the events or images of these people come out in readers'mind. In the second half, some idea this Chinese idiom want to express is given. these ideas always describe four aspects such as figure of personage, character of personage ,quality of personage and event of personage. So, meaning formation of Chinese idioms about personage is analysed from these four aspects.Finally, analysis of mean espression of Chinese idioms about personage is made by both structure level and expression manner level. On the structure level, the first part of Chinese idioms are made up of words and sentences while the second part are made up of words, phrases and sentences. On the expression manner level, Chinese idioms about personage include two types.