Study Of Chinese Idioms Semantic And Cultural Diet

Language emerges from social practice, while diet as the most basic activities, it surely has a great influence on formation and usage of language. It is also obvious in Chinese idioms. This paper takes Chinese diet idioms as research objects. First, definition of "diet idioms" refers to morphemes or words about diet, and has deep relations with human’s diet activities. The definition not only requires idioms to have morphemes or words about diet, but also the entire meanings of idioms should be bound to human’s diet activities, therefore it can make the range of this type of idioms clear. This paper gives a meaning analysis of idioms which have words on diet. I mainly analyse idiom words on food raw materials, food process and cooking, drinks and diet utensils. I introduce their meanings by means of combination of language and culture in order to show material culture information hidden by these words. Giving an analysis of these words on diet is helpful to understand the meanings of diet idioms. The paper divides diet idioms into three types by using theory of intermediary sign of idioms:diet idioms of showing imagery, diet idioms of constructing imagery and diet idioms from historical stories. Each type can be classified into smaller ones. Based on this, give a deep analysis on language meanings of all kinds of diet idioms, then to show how the diet idioms are connected in language forms and language meanings by image signs. Last but not least, by using cultural linguistics research method, to give a exploration on deep cultural connotation reflected from Chinese diet idioms, such as ways of figurative thinking, diet customs in ancient traditions, hierarchy system in ancient society and management state for kings etc.