Idiom and conceptual variations

possible interfaces

Abstract

This article contributes to the study of idioms from the perspective of conceptual variation. It aims to verify the hypothesis of these (relatively) fixed constructions present degrees of variation, which occur depending on the context, with maintenance or alteration of the direction. The variation to which idioms are liable is not related merely to the number-personal adjustments, but also to the discursive context, which assigns a (pen) last layer in the meaning structure of these phraseology. The theoretical construct that supports this research is based on the Communicative Theory of Terminology (TCT), considering that it includes the possibility of variation and considers the term as a component of the language exposed to internal and external influences. Among the inferences that could be drawn are: (i) the variation in idiomatic expressions occurs at different levels of conceptual equivalence in relation to the canonical form; (ii) there is a certain (co)relation between the literal meaning of the parts that make up the idiom and the compositional; (iii) the discursive context, an agent of variation, adds a layer of meaning to idiom.