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ABSTRACT
A
key word, which appears in an idiom can form the basis
of that idiom. Idioms based on the names of body parts
are called somatic idioms.
One of the typical characteristics of somatic idioms is
that the body parts referred to have figurative meanings.
These human body parts acquired distinct figurative meanings
according to their functions. Even though the figurative
meanings of body parts in Turkish somatic idioms are parallel
to those of the same idioms in Mongolian, the scope of
this study is restricted to the Turkish language.
Like other idioms, somatic
idioms reflect the spiritual values of our nation. It
is clear that some somatic idioms refer to our nation's
old customs and beliefs. Furthermore, somatic idioms containing
archaic elements give us the chance to conduct language
research on a wider scale.
Investigating the motifs
of comparative somatic idioms, ie. clarifying the hidden
relationship between words' literal and figurative meanings,
is of crucial importance to linguistic research.
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Key Words : Somatic idioms, body
parts, literal meaning, figurative meaning, archaic element,
cultural linguistics (ethnolinguistics).
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