DETERMINING THE CONSISTENCY OF PHRASEOLOGICAL COMPOSITION

Xadjiyeva Nodira

Qoraqalpoq davlat universiteti

Filologiya va tillarni o’qitish:

Ingliz tili 4-bosqich talabasi

     Annotation: This article looks at how stable or consistent fixed expressions—like idioms, collocations, and set phrases—are in everyday language. It explains why some expressions stay the same in form and meaning, while others can change a little without losing their sense. The paper breaks down different types of stability, such as structure, word choice, and meaning, and shows how they help these phrases keep their original form. The author uses examples from real texts (corpus linguistics) and simple tests to understand how fixed these expressions really are. The article also talks about how these phrases can be different in other languages and how culture affects them. In the end, the study shows why understanding fixed expressions  is important in language learning, translation, and even computer programs that work with language. This work is useful for students, teachers, and anyone interested in how language really works.

      Key words: phraseological units, fixed expressions, consistency, stability, idioms, collocations, semantic cohesion, linguistic analysis

     Abstract: Phraseological units are a fundamental part of any language’s lexicon, reflecting cultural values, cognitive patterns, and stylistic tendencies. This paper investigates the internal consistency of phraseological composition in the English language. It explores the criteria that govern the structure, stability, and usage of phraseological expressions, focusing on idioms, collocations, and fixed expressions. The study adopts a corpus-based approach to identify recurring phraseological patterns and their syntactic and semantic behavior in different contexts. The findings aim to enhance the theoretical understanding of phraseology and offer practical insights for language teaching and computational applications.

 Introduction Phraseology is a branch of linguistics that deals with fixed or semi-fixed combinations of words, known as phraseological units (PUs). These units include idioms (e.g., kick the bucket), collocations (e.g., make a decision), proverbs, and other set expressions. Their importance lies in the way they enrich language, express abstract ideas succinctly, and reflect social and cultural norms.

However, not all phraseological units exhibit the same degree of consistency. Some are fixed and unchangeable, while others allow variation. Determining the consistency of phraseological composition helps linguists and language users understand which parts of the expression are stable and which can be modified without altering meaning. This consistency also impacts how PUs are processed cognitively, how they are learned by non-native speakers, and how they are represented in dictionaries and language technologies.

        This paper explores the concept of phraseological consistency from multiple dimensions: structural (grammatical), semantic (meaning-related), and contextual (pragmatic). By examining authentic examples from corpora, the study identifies patterns that signal phraseological stability and variation. The term “phraseological unit” was first formalized in Russian and European linguistic traditions, particularly by scholars such as Vinogradov and Kunin. In English linguistics, similar concepts have been discussed under terms like “idioms,” “collocations,” and “fixed expressions.”

        A phraseological unit can be broadly defined as a multi-word expression that functions as a single semantic unit. These units often have non-literal meanings, especially in idioms, and are stored in the mental lexicon as prefabricated chunks. Linguists typically categorize phraseological units into:

   Idioms – expressions with non-compositional meaning (spill the beans).

   Collocations – predictable word combinations (strong tea, commit a crime).

    Phrasal verbs – verbs with particles whose meaning is not deducible from the parts (look after).

    Clichés and fixed expressions – stereotypical phrases used in social contexts (Nice to meet you, Best regards).

Structural consistency refers to the fixedness of the grammatical structure in a phraseological unit. For example, kick the bucket cannot be changed to kick a bucket or kicked the buckets without losing its idiomatic meaning. Some collocations, however, are more flexible (make/made/makes a decision), though they still exhibit a preferred structure. This refers to the stability of the lexical components within a PU. In highly consistent units, specific words cannot be replaced without altering meaning (break the ice, not shatter the ice). In less consistent units, some variability is permitted (give/take/have a look).

        Phraseological units vary in terms of how transparent their meaning is. Fully idiomatic expressions like kick the bucket are semantically opaque and highly consistent. In contrast, semi-transparent expressions such as make a choice are more flexible and their meaning is derivable from the parts. Certain phraseological units appear consistently in specific genres or registers. Legal language, for instance, uses fixed phrases like null and void, while everyday conversation prefers idioms like hit the sack. The consistency of usage across contexts also determines how recognizable and fixed a PU is perceived. To analyze phraseological consistency empirically, this study examined data from the British National Corpus (BNC) and Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA). The method involved identifying frequently occurring phraseological units and observing their patterns of usage.

Methodology: Selection of 50 common phraseological expressions. Examination of frequency, structural variation, and lexical substitution. Categorization based on idiomatically and contextual flexibility. About 60% of the expressions were structurally fixed. Highly idiomatic units showed minimal variation. Some collocations, though semantically transparent, were preferred in particular forms. Contextual data confirmed that genre plays a role in preserving phraseological consistency. Understanding phraseological consistency has practical benefits:

    Language Teaching: Teachers can prioritize fixed PUs for memorization and teach flexible ones through pattern recognition.

    Lexicography: Dictionaries can mark degrees of variability to aid learners.

    Computational Linguistics: NLP systems benefit from clear data on phraseological units for better parsing, machine translation, and sentiment analysis.

In conclusion, phraseological composition in English demonstrates varying degrees of consistency. Fixed idioms maintain high structural and lexical rigidity, while collocations and semi-fixed expressions allow some flexibility. Corpus analysis confirms that consistency is influenced by grammatical form, lexical selection, semantic opacity, and contextual use. Understanding these patterns not only deepens linguistic knowledge but also enhances applications in education and technology.

                                        List of used literature:

1. Glaser, R. (1984). The Stylistic Potential of Phraseological Units in the Light of Genre Analysis.

2. Cowie, A. P. (1998). Phraseology: Theory, Analysis, and Applications. Oxford University Press.

3. Mel’cuk, I. A. (1995). Phrasemes in Language and Phraseology in Linguistics.

4. Fernando, C. (1996). Idioms and Idiomaticity. Oxford University Press.

5. Moon, R. (1998). Fixed Expressions and Idioms in English: A Corpus-Based Approach. Oxford University Press.

                                                    Articles:

6. Wray, A. (2002). Formulaic Language and the Lexicon. Cambridge University Press.

7. Granger, S., & Meunier, F. (2008). Phraseology: An Interdisciplinary Perspective. John Benjamins.

8. Biber, D., Conrad, S., & Cortes, V. (2004). If you look at…: Lexical Bundles in University Teaching and Textbooks. Applied Linguistics.

Guardian

the sun sets early in september,

when you are praised for your age

and I’m reminded that

i will never have that man again.

Father,

where did i go wrong?

the half of you that is

the half of me

stings through

my achievements.

in eager need, 

eventually, you delivered,

seemingly making it

easier to be deceived.

i walk across miles of gravel singularly

sacrificing my souI

for your needs

only to be called selfish.

i refuse to see our similarities.

Father,

you will never amount to her.

yet there is still a place in my heart

to fit my love for you.

Through the Lanes

On the first lane I place my palms

downward face to the grass and relax to

reflect on neglect. 

On the second lane the true midnight blue 

of her silence weeps down towards the curfew

leaving me in wonder.

On the third lane I observe and admire the exposure of discovery;

discovery of my path of exposure I was told

I was not capable of living.

For once in my life I am enclosed by

decisions incapable of being expressed through nature.

To love is to hate and

To hate is to release and

To release is to fail and to fail

is to love once more.

Season

The rain has brought all seasons

Spring to summer and winter all

Its thrones

It’s the mahogany of poplar trees

The bright sun bathed tulips

I am in search for

The little girl plays it’s gypsy morning tone

the song of careful playfulness

I am in the search for seasons

Where rain has hide all its flowers

The pansies and blueberry toppings

Where summer has played it’s part

Of meandering love for happiness

And winter has killed it’s lonely maiden

But spring will come heralding

The rains and poplars and the bright sun rays.

What is Life???

A living being on the earth 
Seeking so many amazing rides,
Facing unbearable shoots and arts
Is that the meaning of life?

What is life?
Who cares or shares?
Who bears?
Who roars?

Life is nothing but the Illusion
Imagination is its own creation.

What do you mean about this?
What does life depict around this phase?

Life! It comes and says-
I know so much the fact.
No way to show any case
Life is itself a casino stage.

The fact lies on the phase
Life is the beautiful pace
Need to believe and feel
Life is the universal reel.

What is Life?
Now say this time
It’s omnipotent dear
Let it flow and clear.

Life is the charm on earth
Lit it with eternal arts
The heart and mind know all
Life is the beautiful pool.

Author S. Afrose hails from Bangladesh, a lover of poetry world. Poetry is her passion. Her writes have been published on magazines, anthologies etc. There are some published poetry books available on Amazon Worldwide. YouTube: S Afrose * Muse of Writes*

One for all!

O Saint Lord, blessed of all, and of far more than all,

Thy are not bound inner the walls of Vatican,

We know Thy Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican,

Calvinist, Maroonist, Greek, Copt… Christ has the whole…

Better yet : the Hebrews were first to pray Thy name,

Believers of Islam, love Thee since a long time…

Thus did Buddha pray Thee, prophet without a grime,

Then to all of Hindus, your Legend is the Fame !

Nô, to the Japanese, Great Spirit to Bantus,

Ineffable Tao in China, Wakan Tan…

Thy are one for us all, all in one, for Thy can !

Then I believe mages, counting their arcanae,

A Voodo, a Wizard, or Witch, or Draconer…

All are yours, as the fays, and the unicorns too !

*****

Union of prayers

Unicorns of this World, unite !

And get along with us, poets,

Then our alliance, infinite,

Shall rule this lovely planet…

O Fays, o Mages, come around !

We shall dance in a sarabande,

Until we find some common grounds,

With all prophets, from all far lands…

Morning, day, to dusk, night, till dawn,

Brother Sun, keeper of our dreams,

Sister Moon, grace on your soft beams…

Join us ! We know the Angels own,

Everything for Christ… Wonders,

Join Us ! Pixies, Salamanders…

*****

Graces to the Skies!

Here, I wanted to say : thank you,

From the very depth of my heart,

For all of this beautiful art,

For every books I went through…

For all of your joyful ideas,

Each of your gifts, each of the flowers !

Thanks for the laughter, for these hours,

Of love, of joy, of peace, of ease.

I am a simple man ! I eat,

I drink, I work, and rest some time,

Interact with people I meet…

Lucky to walk by on my feet !

You are my treasure from a dime,

Thanks, o Jesus ! I wish I’ll fit…

*****

Emy – Angel

« You know well how I love you dear ! »

« I love you too so very much… »

« When we lay, as morning comes near,

I cherish your embrace, your touch ! 

Then when you wake up in a smile,

I look at you pouring some tea,

Half naked… Angel from the Isles,

You are beautiful ! »

                            « Timothy !

You already told this to me !

I am not an Angel at all…

I am a simple girl ! »

                           « Emy !

I am writing at the moment,

A poem to express my whole,

Adoration, o firmament… »

*****

Benedictions

Thy o Lord in the Skies, above,

Know of how much I revere,

In my heart your wise, tender love,

Mysteries, Thy will forever.

Oh beautiful, oh shade or light,

Oh praises given, blessings brought,

Through a humble life, long were sought,

Destiny’s chances, thy all might !

When bent over my work table,

I worship the benedictions,

Of life, itself, praying for peace…

Thy o Lord grand please enable,

Better thoughts and better actions,

While I hope from Heavens a piece…

*****

My secrets

Once to a phlegmatic, British girl in Paris,

I taught all my secrets : « Prayer is alchemy,

Love is light, peace is safe, ignore the enemy,

You would never be too hurt if your mind is free…

Be mobile, be tender, be liquid as water,

And positively try just to act with good will,

There after you could not fear any encounter,

Yet, if someone fights you… Fight ! Otherwise keep still.

When the Angels above want to bless us with grace,

They are unseen, but soon their blessing will reveal,

Knee then, or bow before their soft, happy embrace…

Oh ! And work ! From your work would your life be success ! »

This girl, named Sue, listened to me then she appealed,

My lips to hers,

             She smiled, and silently we kissed.

*****

A new life!

It’s often two warm hearts find a new home in love…

A mystical silence soon follows, intertwined,

With a scansion of sounds, well, as their passion wins,

Kisses and joyful plays melt bodies instinct drove…

Then it also happens often : a child is born,

Then an other, later, a few, eventually…

This is what we human call a true family,

Elders, lovers, and kids, for Nature to adorn.

One fine day all gather, to a brunch in a park,

By a sunny morning, in the shade of an oak,

To spend some good moments, with their friends, or cousins…

And at the magical instants when sings a lark,

It is said, I heard it, two grown up cute young folks,

Find love again ! O Virtue ! A new life begins…

(Thanks to my dear Anna !)

Hope

It's the darkest and heaviest days
I've witnessed in my life.
The night is so bleak
And the day is so pale

The earth shakes under our feet
And the sky is swamped with innocent flying souls.
But our faith is stalwart 
Like the rooted mountains.
The sun will rise again 
And the settlers will leave my stolen land.
The hideous and notorious occupation will end
And all free people around the world will celebrate
A new era of freedom
They'll gather in Palestine, 
The flags will wave
And the sweets will be served.

Gaza

Here's Gaza, where hunger becomes a killer,
The buzzing drones become a chronic disease, 
and coldness becomes a knife
In the heart of homelessness,
The destruction becomes the witness to the crime.

No flour, no bread, no medicine, no children's milk,

No fuel, no power, no hospitals,  no schools,
No safety, nothing except death.

Gaza is starving, 
Destroyed, punished,
tortured every minute, hour, day.

It's not a war,
It's a collective execution to a whole land, 
an entire people and a complete life.

Ahmed Miqdad (b. 1985) is a Palestinian poet resident of Gaza. He has a B.A. in English and a Master in Education. Ahmed is the author of three collections of poetry (Gaza Narrates Poetry (2014), Stolen Lives (2015) and When Hope Is not Enough (2019)) and a novel Falastin: The Hope of Tomorrow (2018). The latest poetry collection is The Shadow: Poems for the Children of Gaza. He has witnessed over three wars and severe aggression by Israeli forces on the Palestinian people since the 1980s with a huge loss of life. He writes and publishes to raise consciousness about the Palestinian cause."

into the adult years


longing for a kiss

on a hot summer

day



never had much luck

when i was younger

and that has carried

right into the adult

years



and i know, when i

give up they will come

out of the shadows



tell me all the things

i wanted to hear years

ago



back when love had

a chance



when dreams weren't

extinguished



when desire still

resided in this

house

-------------------------------------------------------------
as fleeting as they may be


ponder death like

there is some other

option



childhood memories

come flooding by



the pain, the joy,

the heartbroken

nights of all

those years



remind yourself

of the good times



as fleeting as

they may be



they are all you

have left in times

like this



when the first kiss

was so much more



the night you spent

in a stranger's arms



lost in the stars and

the futile belief in

hope



and when tomorrow

doesn't come



will everything be

a mess



all that could have

been has expired



i suppose the best

thing about death



procrastination is

no longer possible

---------------------------------------------------------
her soft hands


a black woman

cut my hair

today



brought back the

memories of what

i always thought

my adult life

would be like



a black wife



cutting my hair

in the kitchen



her soft hands

gently caressing

my hair



different kind of

small talk than

today of course



she thanked me

for the tip



ten dollars



she told me her

daughter has

discovered

brand names



so, i knew she

needed it

--------------------------------------------------------
a public enemy song


got a letter from

the government



fuck, my life is now

a public enemy song



they declined one

of my medications



obviously, i'm starting

to live better than they

will allow



i guess we no longer

want people striving

to be better, etc.



just fucking die

already



i suppose that's one

way to balance

a budget



all it really does

is feed into my

inner child's long

held belief that

they are out

to get me



i'm just about at

that age where a

mass shooting

really makes

sense


--------------------------------------------------------------------
come around and say hello


a bottle of rye

to keep you

warm



these are the nights

where you wouldn't

mind a few ghosts to

come around and say

hello



there's a longing

in your soul that

cuts deeper than

anyone knows



a tragedy waiting

to happen



the endless pursuit

of endless possibilities

of endless mysteries



there must be a

breaking point

of something

good



they don't

understand

the pain



the pure fucking

misery of tomorrow



escaping death

yet again



once your number

is called just accept

it



it is the only way

out


J.J. Campbell (1976 - ?) is old enough to know better. He's been widely published over the years, most recently at Disturb the Universe Magazine, The Beatnik Cowboy, Mad Swirl, Yellow Mama and Horror Sleaze Trash. Most days he is taking care of his disabled mother. In the rare moment of free time, he'll be making bets on sports or finding a few seconds for a nap. You sometimes can find him at his mildly entertaining blog, evil delights. (https://evildelights.blogspot.com)