(Luận văn) a contrastive analysis of syntactic and semantic features in english and vietnamese proverbs containing the word “eat”

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
QUY NHON UNIVERSITY

ĐOÀN THỊ THÙY LINH

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A CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OF SYNTACTIC

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AND SEMANTIC FEATURES IN ENGLISH

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AND VIETNAMESE PROVERBS CONTAINING

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THE WORD “EAT”

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Field: English Language
Code: 8220201

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Supervisor: TRƯƠNG VĂN ĐỊNH, Ph.D.

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BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO
TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUY NHƠN

ĐOÀN THỊ THÙY LINH

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VÀ NGỮ NGHĨA TRONG CÁC CÂU TỤC NGỮ ANH

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PHÂN TÍCH ĐỐI CHIẾU ĐẶC ĐIỂM CÚ PHÁP

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VÀ VIỆT NAM CĨ CHỨA TỪ “ĂN”

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Chun ngành: Ngơn ngữ Anh

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Mã số: 8220201

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Người hướng dẫn: TS. TRƯƠNG VĂN ĐỊNH

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STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I certify that this thesis, entitled A contrastive analysis of syntactic and
semantic features in English and Vietnamese proverbs containing the word
“eat”, is my own work.
Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis does
not contain materials published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a
thesis by which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma.

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No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in

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the main text of the thesis.

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This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma

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in any other tertiary institution.

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Binh Đinh 2021

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Đoàn Thị Thùy Linh

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my gratefulness to all of the following people for
helping and motivating me complete the master thesis.
Firstly, my most deeply felt words go to my thesis supervisor, Dr Trương
Văn Định for his extremely great support, guidance and encouragement. Since
the thesis was commenced, he spent his valuable time and effort to read my
work thoroughly and reply promptly with insightful comments and critical

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questions so that I could deeply understand the problems and be on the track for

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the completion of the thesis. Without his devoted assistance and careful revision,

My special thanks are reserved for the president and the staff of Nha

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my thesis would not have been finalized.

Trang National College of pedagogy, who created favorable conditions for me to

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conduct the thesis. I am also grateful to my friends for their constant
encouragement and their help during the period of carrying out the research
work.

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Last but not least, my husband and beloved my son deserves my most

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sincere thankfulness for their love and strong motivations that have helped me

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cope with all obstacles in my life and inspired me to greater effort in finishing

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the study.

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ABSTRACT

This research aims to investigate the syntactic and semantic features in
proverbs containing the word “eat” in English and Vietnamese and to find out
the similarities and differences between two languages. The data were collected

from reliable sources, which consist of dictionaries and publications, both
English and Vietnamese. This study is carried out on the framework of Quirk et
al.’s theory (1985) for English proverbs and the framework of Diệp Quang Ban

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(1996) for Vietnamese proverbs. The cultural values are also presented in the

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study. The quantitative and qualitative research approaches are also employed to

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analyze data. The findings indicate that both the British and Vietnamese use

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sentence structures more than phrase structures in proverbs containing the word
“eat”. Compound sentences are the most used common with a high rate and

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comparative sentences are ranked in the lowest position in Vietnamese proverbs;
meanwhile, the British tend to use complex sentences in their proverbs more. In
addition, parallel structures are also used in both English and Vietnamese

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proverbs containing the word “eat”. In term semantic features, the homogeneity

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of thinking and perception of the British and Vietnamese can be found in

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proverbs containing the word “eat”. Besides, the contents of the proverbs turn

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around the same topics such as health, social and family relationship, life

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experience, human personality and behavior. The literal and figurative meaning

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is examined to find out the meaning of proverbs.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ................................................................... i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................. ii
ABSTRACT…... ....... ……..…………………………………………………iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................. iv
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................... vi

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LIST OF FIGURES........................................................................................ viii

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................. 1

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1.1. Rationale..................................................................................................... 1

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1.2. Aim and Objectives of the Study ............................................................... 3

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1.2.1. Aim….…………………………………………………………………………..3

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1.2.2. Objectives………………………………………………………………………3
1.3. Research Questions .................................................................................... 3
1.4. Scope of the Study ..................................................................................... 3

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1.5. Significance of the Study ........................................................................... 4

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1.6. Organization of the Study .......................................................................... 4

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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW...................................................... 6

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2.1. Overview of proverb .................................................................................. 6

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2.1.1. Definition of proverb…..……………………………………………………..6

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2.1.2. Classification of proverb……………………………………………………..7

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2.1.3. Distinction between proverbs and idioms…………………………………..9

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2.1.4. Features of the word “eat” in English and Vietnames……….…………13
2.2. Theoretical framework…………………………………………… …….14

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2.3. Some characteristics of Vietnamese and British eating culture………... 26

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2.4. Previous Studies…………………………………………………………29
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ....................................... 34
3.1. Research Methods .................................................................................... 34
3.2. Data Collection......................................................................................... 34
3.3. Data Analysis ........................................................................................... 34
3.4. Validity and Reliability ............................................................................ 36

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ......................................... 37
4.1. Comparison and contrast of EPWE and VPWE in terms of syntactic. ... 37

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4.2. Comparison and contrast of EPWE and VPWE in terms of semantics. .. 47

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4.3. The cultural similarities and differences between EPWE and VPWE .... 65

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CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION ..................................................................... 68

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5.1. Main findings ........................................................................................... 68

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5.2. Implications of the study .......................................................................... 69
5.3. Limitations ............................................................................................... 70

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5.4. Suggestions for further research .............................................................. 71
REFERENCES ……......……………………………………………………72

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APPENDIX 2

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APPENDIX 1

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

EPWE

English proverbs containing the word “eat”

VPWE

Vietnamese proverbs containing the word “eat”

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LIST OF TABLES

Table
Number

Name of Tables

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2.2

Summary of parts of noun phrase

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4.1

Noun phrase structure

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4.2

Verb phrase structure

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4.3

Adjective phrase structure

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4.4

Simple sentence structure

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4.5

Compound sentence structure

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4.6

Frequency of stylistic device

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Distinguishing criteria between proverbs and idioms.

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2.1

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure
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Name of Figures

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Statistical summary phrase structure

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4.2

Statistical summary of sentence structure

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4.3

Statistical summary of comparative sentence structure

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4.4

Statistical summary of syntactic feature

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4.1

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1. Rationale
In the cultural treasures of the peoples of the world, proverb is a very
valuable heritage. Proverbs were born and passed from generation to
generation in human societies very early. With the way of conceptualizing
and describing the world of its own, proverbs are remarks and experiences
about the laws of nature and human society.

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Proverb is considered the reflection of the typical customs and traditions

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of a country. It not only reflects natural and social phenomena, productive

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experiences, and social relationships but also brings cultural values through the

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language characteristics. Proverbs in different countries have different cultural

and social contexts. It can be seen that proverbs are the windows on a nation’s

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identities. If the window tightly closed, we would fail to decode the real message
of a language in particular and of a culture in general.
In a proverb, form and content are always closely linked to form a

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complete and unified sentence. This shows the sustainability of the proverb.

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Each proverb uses specific images, events, and phenomena to express abstract

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ideas, and uses the particular to express the universal.

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The study of proverbs helps us to have the opportunity to understand

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and absorb the quintessence of cultures around the world. For language

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learners, it is not easy to approach proverbs. Because to understand proverbs,

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learners need to understand the culture of that country. The study of

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characteristics of culture and language in proverbs will contribute greatly to
teaching foreign languages, helping students not only master languages but

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also have an extensive view of cultures of countries that use those languages.

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Going into the treasure trove of proverbs of both English-Vietnamese

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languages, we find that proverbs containing the word “eat” occupy a

considerable number. They clearly reflect the cultures of the two countries,
vividly showing similarities and differences in customs and life experiences
of the two peoples of British-Vietnamese. As a result, proverb has attracted
more scholars to carry out their researches in different fields.
In reality, some researchers have carried out researches on proverbs in
different themes such as weather, animal, friendship, money, human, family,
etc. For instance, Đỗ Thị Minh Ngọc (2010) researched the cultures of the

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English and Vietnamese countries through weather proverbs. Similarly, Vũ

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Thị Yến Hồng (2012) examined natural relationship through the climatic

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phenomena and animals’ behaviors. Mohammad Ali Fatemi, Reza Tahmasebi

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(2015) also made a contrastive analysis of English and Persian proverbs

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related to animals.

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With respect to linguistic fields, some researchers have applied
useful

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syntactic and semantic features as

approaches

to investigate

proverbs. Nguyễn Thị Bích Huệ (2016) conducted a study to compare and

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contrast syntactic and semantic features of English and Vietnamese proverbs

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and idioms denoting weather. Another study by Trịnh Thị Hương Giang
(2013) investigated the general syntactic, semantic and cultural features of

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English and Vietnamese proverbs about marriage. Similarly, other

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investigations related proverbs have been done to explore syntactic and

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semantic features between two languages.

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So far, there have been a large number of researches conducted to
investigate different features of proverbs as well as their applicability in

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language teaching. However, no study has been conducted to deal with
linguistic features of proverbs containing the word “eat”.

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It is for this reason that the author made a study of English and

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Vietnamese proverbs containing the word “eat” (EPWE and VPWE) from the
syntactic and semantic perspective in order to identify the similarities and
differences in meaning and structure between these two languages. Hopefully,
the findings from this study will be a practical application in language use,
contributing to the teaching and learning of English as a foreign language.
1.2. Aim and Objectives of the Study
1.2.1. Aim
This study aims to examine the similarities and differences in syntactic and

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semantic features in EPWE and VPWE in order to make a supplemental

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contribution to the knowledge and the comprehension understanding of

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syntactic and semantic features in proverbs.

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1.2.2. Objectives

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To achieve this aim, the author will try to fulfill the following objectives:

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- To identify and describe syntactic and semantic features of EPWE and VPWE.

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- To find out similarities and differences in syntactic and semantic features
between EPWE and VPWE.

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- To study cultural similarities and differences between EPWE and VPWE.

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1.3. Research Questions

To achieve the above aim and objectives, the author collected data and

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analyzed the data to answer the following questions:

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1. What are the syntactic and semantic features of EPWE and VPWE?

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2. What are similarities and differences in syntactic and semantic features

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between EPWE and VPWE?

1.4. Scope of the Study

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English and Vietnamese?

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3. What are cultural values shown in proverbs containing the word “eat” in

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The thesis focuses only on the study of syntactic and semantic features

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in EPWE and VPWE.
The data were collected from English and Vietnamese dictionaries and
publications.
Because of the limitation of references of proverbs, the author
randomly collected 146 proverbs (73 English and 73 Vietnamese ones)
containing the word “eat” as the data for the analysis with the goal of
discovering similarities and differences in syntactic and semantic features in
English and Vietnamese proverbs.

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Almost all English proverbs containing the word “eat, eating, eaten”

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va

were collected as the data. However, there are a number of English proverbs
containing the word “eat, eating, eaten” that the author did not use for this

tn
to

study because the author does not understand their meanings.

p
ie
gh

For instance: “He is so hungry, he could eat a horse behind the saddle.”

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w

do

1.5. Significance of the Study
Theoretically, the study contributes to the studies of linguistic and
cultural values shown in proverbs in English and Vietnamese. In addition, the

a
lu

study helps to clarify the universality of the theories of proverbs and

nv

fu
an

contribute to perfect the research on proverbs.

ll

Practically, the findings of the study will help point out some noteworthy

m

oi

similarities and differences in English and Vietnamese proverbs in general and

at

nh

proverbs containing the word “eat” in particular. Therefore, the study will be of

z

great help to those who learn English in providing them with a better

z

gm

@

understanding of proverbs to maximize the effectiveness in communication and
help them avoid culture shock. Besides, this research is very useful for English

ai

as compile teaching materials related to proverbs.

om
l.c

teachers in helping their students to expand their knowledge of proverbs as well

an

Lu

1.6. Organization of the Study

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5

The study is divided into five chapters as follows:
Chapter 1, Introduction, contains the rationale, aims, and objectives, research
questions, the significance of the study, the scope of the study and the
organization of the study.
Chapter 2, Literature Review, presents the definition of proverbs and idioms,
classification of proverbs, some semantic and syntactic features of proverbs,
the relationship between language and culture, then the previous studies
related to the features of these theories are given.

lu

Chapter 3, Research Methodology, provides a full description of the methods

an

and procedures to collect process and analyze the data.

n

va

Chapter 4, Findings and Discussions, focuses on the results of the data

tn
to

analysis. The discussion based on the research results is also made.

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Chapter 5, Conclusion, summarizes the major findings of the thesis and

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draws implications as well as suggestions for further research.

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oi

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at

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@
an

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6

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter reviews the theoretical background related to the study.
The first part presents an overview of proverbs. The chapter then continues
with syntactic and semantic features realized by phrase and sentence
structures, stylistic devices and semantic fields. Finally, the relevant previous
studies are reviewed.
2.1. Overview of proverb

lu

2.1.1. Definition of proverb

an
n

va

There have been lot of different definitions of proverbs. In English, the

tn
to

author finds definitions about proverbs given by researchers. Some definitions

p
ie

gh

can be given as follows:
According to Guralnik and Solomon (1980, p.1144), a proverb is “a

d
oa
nl
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do

short saying in common use that strikingly expresses some obvious truth or
familiar experience.”
Jennifer Speake (2008, p.1) defines that “A proverb is a traditional

a
lu

nv

saying which offers advice or presents a moral in a short and pithy manner.”

fu
an

Paczolay (1998, p.264) gives a definition of proverb as follows:

ll

A proverb is a short statement, having an evident or implied general meaning,

m

oi

related to a certain typical field of general human conditions, attitudes or actions,

at

nh

where it is valid with implied limitations. It is known and often quoted in a period
of time in a certain language community, sometimes in a short form (the rest being

z
z

implied). In common knowledge, it has no known author or literary source.

@

gm

Mieder (1993, p.5) defines that “a proverb is a short, generally known

om
l.c

ai

sentence of the folk which contains wisdom, truth, morals and traditional
views in a metaphorical, fixed and memorable form and which is handed

an

Lu

down from generation to generation.”

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7

Referring to the proverb, Vietnamese researchers also give many
different definitions.
Vũ Ngọc Phan (1978, p.26) defines proverb as follows: “A proverb is a
sentence that expresses an idea, an advice, an experience, a morality,
sometimes a criticism.” For example: “Muốn ăn cá phải thả câu dài.” This
proverb emphasizes the value of labor and diligence and patience.
Sharing Phan’s viewpoint, Phạm Văn Bình (1993, p.8) believes that “A
proverb is a complete sentence expressing an idea of comment, of experience,

lu

of morality, of justice or of criticism drawn from the human life.”

an
n

va

Judging proverbs on the angle of folklore literature, Hoàng Tiến Tựu
(1990, p.79) states that: “Proverbs are folklore genres aimed at drawing

tn
to

experience, knowledge, giving comments, judgments, and admonitions of the

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ie
gh

people in the form of short, simple, concise, rhythmic, easy-to-remember and

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easy-to-transmit statements.”
In short, although there are different ways of expressing the definition
of a proverb, the above-mentioned researchers agree that in terms of form, a

a
lu

proverb is a short and complete sentence that fully expresses an idea; in terms

nv

fu
an

of content, a proverb expresses a truth, moral instruction, advice, life
experience, traditional wisdom and transferred from generation to another.

ll
oi

m

2.1.2. Classification of proverb

at

nh

It is said that the task of classifying a proverb is as hard as defining it.

z

Despite the foregoing constraint, scholars have attempted to categorize the

z

gm

@

proverbs. There exist many different ways of proverb classification among
linguists who have based on different categories as origin, meaning and function.

ai

om
l.c

Lauhakangas (2014, p.61) creates an international classification system
of proverbs that starts out with thirteen main themes, which for the most part

Lu

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represent basic aspects of human life: practical knowledge of nature, faith and

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8

basic attitudes, basic observations and socio-logic, the world and human life,
sense of proportion, concepts of morality, social life, social interaction,
communication, social position, agreements and norms, coping and learning,
time and sense of time.

Another theoretical approach to proverb classification is given by
Eugenio (2007, p.36), who divided proverb into six groups as follows:
(i) Proverbs reflecting a general attitude towards life and the rules
regulating it; for instance, “If you save, there is no earthly happiness that is

lu

not weighed down with tears.”

an

(ii) Ethical proverbs which recommend certain virtues and condemn

n

va

some vices, such as, “Don’t postpone what you will do today for tomorrow.”

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to

(iii) Proverbs, which transmit a value system. That is “To say a young man is

p
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gh

like meat that smells bad.”

do

(iv) Proverbs that convey general truths and observations about life and

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oa
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w

human nature, for example, “Being too late is a positive thing.”
(v) Humorous proverbs such as “The love of an old man is like a snail

nv

a
lu

that crawls.”

fu
an

(vi) Splendid proverbs, for example, “Which means A fool loves
Wicked behavior, but a man of knowledge delights in wisdom.”

ll
m

oi

However, Jennifer Speake (2008, p.14) classifies proverbs into three

at

nh

main categories:

z

The first type takes the form of abstract statements expressing general

z

gm

@

truths, such as “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
The second type, which includes many of the more colorful examples,

ai

om
l.c

use specific observations from everyday experience to make a point that is
general; for instance, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

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The third type of proverb comprises sayings from particular areas of

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9

traditional wisdom and folklore. In this category, we have, for example, the
health proverbs “After dinner rest a while, after supper walk a mile.” and
“Feed a cold, and starve a fever.” In addition, there are traditional country
proverbs, which relate to husbandry, the seasons, and the weather...
In Vietnam, Chu Xuân Diên, Lương Văn Đang, Phương Tri (1993) also

classify proverbs according to many different main themes and main classes
such as:
(i) Natural world (weather, labor experience)

lu

(ii) Social life, country and people (eat and drink, clothes, house,

an

transport, work, health, family relationship, family marriage, public

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va

relationship, marriage and family, job, etc.)

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gh

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(iii) Spiritual life, concepts of life and the universe (knowledge,

experience, challenges, education, culture, art, etc.)

do

There appear to be a number of proverb classification systems.

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However, in this study, the author accepts the classification proposed by Chu
Xuân Diên, Lương Văn Đang, Phương Tri to make the semantic analysis of

nv

a
lu

EPWE and VPWE.

When

fu
an

2.1.3. Distinction between proverbs and idioms
studying

proverbs,

researchers

are

still

confused

in

ll
m

oi

distinguishing proverbs from idioms. Therefore, in this part, the differences

at

nh

between them will be pointed in the hope of helping the readers have more

z

knowledge of proverbs. As stated above, proverb is a complete saying

z

gm

@

expressing one idea of comment, experience, morality, justice or criticism.
What about idioms? The author will research them through some definitions

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of the following linguists:

According to John Wright (2002, p.7), idiom is an expression with

Lu

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following features. Firstly, idiom is fixed and recognized by native speakers.

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10

We cannot make up our own idioms. The second feature is that idiom uses
language in a non-literal-metaphor-way.
In a definition given by Wyatt (2006, p.5), an idiom is “an expression
where meaning is different from the meaning of the individual words.”
Mona Baker (2011, p.67) states that idioms are frozen patterns of
language that allow little or no variation in form and often carry meanings
that cannot be deduced from their individual components. Therefore, by
stating this definition she considers five conditions for idioms, which come as

lu

follows:

an
n

va

(i) The order of the words in an idiom cannot be changed. The way the
words are put together is fixed and they cannot change their place.

p
ie
gh

tn
to

(ii) The words in an idiom cannot be omitted. We are the users of the

language are not permitted to delete some of the words of a particular

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element.

(iii) There are no extra words that might be added to an idiom.
(iv) No words in an idiom can be replaced by another word.

a
lu

(v) The grammatical structures of an idiom cannot also be changed.

nv

fu
an

In a Vietnamese definition, Phạm Văn Bình (1993, p.9) states:

ll

An idiom is a fixed phrase, part of a sentence that many people are used to using

m

so

it is only equivalent to one word. The idiom does not present a comment, an

oi

function or an educational function.

at

nh

experience, or a criticism, so it often has an aesthetic function, not a cognitive

z

z

It is not difficult to find out that idiom and proverb have much in

@

gm

common. They are products of human’s thought, cultures and processes of

om
l.c

ai

hard working and learning. They are mainly orally handed down from
generation to generation and naturally accepted in daily life. They contain and

an

Lu

reflect people’s knowledge about objects and phenomena of the objective

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11

world. Beside those similarities, both of them still own typical features that
distinguish one from the other. The first and most obvious difference lies in
their grammatical structures. Idiom is a fixed phrase that whose meaning
cannot often be explained simply by the meanings of the words that make
them up. Meanwhile, a proverb is a complete saying, fully expressing an idea
with the content of commenting on social relations, conveying life
experiences, giving moral lessons or criticizing things. Let’s see some
following examples:

lu

(1) Different as night and day. (Ammer, 1992, p.73)

an
va

(2) An apple a day keeps the doctor away. (Collis, 1992, p.18)

n

It can be seen that (1) is an idiom because it is a fixed phrase that does

tn
to

not mean “Night is different from day.” The day light is always the clearest

p
ie
gh

light. Therefore, when something is called “Different as night and day”, it is

d
oa
nl
w

do

really clear and easy to see or understand without a shadow of. However, (2)
is a proverb because it is a complete sentence which contains a message. It is
not just about the act of eating an apple that can keep a doctor away. The

a
lu

message of the sentence is that we should try to pursue a healthy diet to stay

fu
an

nv

healthy.

ll

On the other hand, when studying the differences between proverbs and

oi

m

idioms, Nguyễn Đình Hùng (2014) focused on their literature functions.

at

nh

According to his study, proverb contains three main literature functions,

z

which are perceptive function, aesthetic function, and educational function.

z

gm

@

For example, the Vietnamese proverb “Thuận vợ thuận chồng tát biển
đông cũng cạn.” (literally translated as: When a husband and his wife are of

ai

om
l.c

the same mind, there is nothing they cannot achieve.) expresses a comment
about the strength of solidarity, a harmonious life and work experience that

Lu

an

will bring results, a morality in the husband and wife relationship. The

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12

perception function in this proverb is to help people understand that the basis
of the husband and wife relationship is equality, democracy and mutual
understanding. Its educational function is to contribute to bring the feelings
between people and people in a good direction in husband and wife relations
in particular and in social relations in general. Its aesthetic function is to
convey content, so people have used powerful words and images to make
readers easily persuade and absorb. In contrast, idiom does not state a
comment, a life experience, a moral lesson or a criticism, so it often has an

lu

aesthetic function, not a perception function and an educational function. For

an

example, in Vietnamese, the idiom “Mặt hoa da phấn” (literally translated as

n

va

Face is like a flower, skin is like powdery.) only shows the graceful beauty of

tn
to

a woman, but it does not give any comment, advice or criticism. Therefore,

p
ie
gh

although expressed in a glossy, image (aesthetic function), the above idiom

do

does not give people an understanding of life and a lesson about human

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oa
nl
w

relations in society (perception function and educational function).
The distinguishing criteria between proverbs and idioms are

nv

a
lu

summarized in Table 2.1.

Idioms
fixed phrases

ll

oi

m

Features
structural realization

fu
an

Table 2.1. Distinguishing criteria between proverbs and idioms

nh

aesthetic function

expression

pure concepts

at

literature functions

z

z

Proverbs
usually complete sentences
- aesthetic function
- perception function
- educational function
general truths, comments,
advices, experiences,
criticisms

om
l.c

ai

gm

@

Through the above analysis, the author can confirm that the difference

Lu

an

between idioms and proverbs is basically the difference between a linguistic

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C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4..22.Tai lieu. Luan 66.55.77.99. van. Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22. Do an.Tai lieu. Luan van. Luan an. Do an.Tai lieu. Luan van. Luan an. Do an

C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4..22.Tai lieu. Luan 66.55.77.99. van. Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22. Do an.Tai lieu. Luan van. Luan an. Do an.Tai lieu. Luan van. Luan an. Do an

13

phenomenon and a socially conscious phenomenon. Therefore, idioms are
mainly the object of study of linguistic science. As for proverbs, although
there are many aspects that deserve attention from linguistic science, they
should basically be studied as a phenomenon of social consciousness, a
cultural and spiritual phenomenon of the working people.
2.1.4. Features of the word “eat” in English and Vietnamese
According to Cambridge dictionary, “eat” refers to some meanings:
- To take into the mouth and swallow for nourishment; chew and swallow

lu

(food), as in:

an
n

va

(3) I eat an apple.
- To consume by or as if by devouring gradually; wear away; corrode, as in:

p
ie
gh

tn
to

(4) The patient was eaten by disease and pain.

- To make (a hole, passage, etc.), as by gnawing or corrosion, as in:

d
oa
nl
w

do

(5) Acid ate through the linoleum.

- To take a meal, as in:
(6) We'll eat at six o’clock.

a
lu

- To ravage or devastate, as in:

nv

fu
an

(7) a forest eaten by fire.

ll

- To use up, especially wastefully; consume (often followed by up), as in:

m

oi

(8) Unexpected expenses have been eating up their savings.

at

nh

- To absorb or pay for, as in:

z

(9) The builder had to eat the cost of the repairs.

z

gm

@

Similarly, in the Vietnamese dictionary. The word “eat” has some

om
l.c

ai

meanings:

- Tự cho vào cơ thể thức ăn nuôi sống. (To put food in your mouth and

an

(10) eat rice, eat an apple

Lu

swallow to nourish the body), as in:

n
va
c

a
th

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C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4..22.Tai lieu. Luan 66.55.77.99. van. Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22. Do an.Tai lieu. Luan van. Luan an. Do an.Tai lieu. Luan van. Luan an. Do an

C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4..22.Tai lieu. Luan 66.55.77.99. van. Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22. Do an.Tai lieu. Luan van. Luan an. Do an.Tai lieu. Luan van. Luan an. Do an

14

- Ăn uống nhân dịp gì đó. (To eat for a special occasion), as in:
(11) ăn cưới (go to a wedding party)
- Nhận lấy, chịu đựng một cái gì đó. (To receive of suffer something), as in:
(12) bị ăn đòn (to be beaten)
- Hợp với nhau, tạo nên sự hài hoà. (To combine to create harmony), as in:
(13) ăn ý nhau (agree with each other)
- Gắn, dính chặt vào nhau, khớp với nhau. (To stick / match together), as in:

(14) keo dán không ăn (the paste does not stick.)

lu

- Hấp thu cho thấm vào, nhiễm vào. (To absorb for infiltration), as in:

an
n

va

(15) da ăn nắng (sunburnt skin)

tn
to

In addition to the original and derivative meaning mentioned above,

the word “eat” also has a multitude of other combinations to create new

p
ie
gh

meanings such as ăn gian (cheat), ăn mặc (dress), ăn khớp (match), so on.

d
oa
nl
w

do

In this research, the word “eat” in English and Vietnamese proverbs

not only mentions to the literal meaning, but “eat” refers to figurative
meaning.

a
lu

2.2. Theoretical framework

nv
fu
an

2.2.1. Syntactic features

ll

As mentioned above… proverbs usually appear in the form of phrases

m

oi

or sentences. Therefore, the author will present some views about phrases and

z

z
gm

@

a. Noun phrases

at

(i) Phrase structures

nh

sentences of some linguists.

According to Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech, & Svartvik (1985, pp. 245-

ai

om
l.c

264), a noun phrase is needed to distinguish the following constituent parts:
- The head: around which (for the most part) the other constituents cluster

an

Lu

and which dictates concord with other parts of the sentence.

n
va
c

a
th

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C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4..22.Tai lieu. Luan 66.55.77.99. van. Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22. Do an.Tai lieu. Luan van. Luan an. Do an.Tai lieu. Luan van. Luan an. Do an

C.33.44.55.54.78.65.5.43.22.2.4..22.Tai lieu. Luan 66.55.77.99. van. Luan an.77.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.37.99.44.45.67.22.55.77.C.33.44.55.54.78.655.43.22.2.4.55.22. Do an.Tai lieu. Luan van. Luan an. Do an.Tai lieu. Luan van. Luan an. Do an

15

- The determinative, which includes pre-determiners (all, both, double …),
central determiners (a, an, the, this, some…) and post-determiners (numerals,
many, few, several…)
- The pre-modification is the component consisting of all the modifying or
describing constituents before the head other than the determiners.
- The post-modification is the element that contains all the modifying
constituents placed after the head.
Table 2.2 is the summary of the noun phrase constituents.

lu

Table 2.2. Summary of parts of Noun Phrase

an

(Proposed by Quirk et al.)

n

va
p
ie
gh

tn
to

PreDeterminer
both, all, half
once, twice,
two/ three…
times
one- fifth,
two- third,
three quarters
( with of
construction)

PrePostModifier

Determiner
Cardinal
Classifier:
numeral: one, - Noun:
two, three… beach, bill,
water
- Adjective:
red,
beautiful,
attractive

d
oa
nl
w

do

Determiner
Central
Determiner
For singular
countable
noun:
- The, a, an,
my, your….
any, some,
this, that,
each, either,
neither...

fu
an

nv

a
lu

ll
m

Ordinal
numeral:
first,
fourth….,
next, last,
other,
another

oi

at

nh

Qualifier:
- Finite
clause: we
saw

- Non- finite
clause:
reading a
book
- Preposition
phrase: in
March, 2019
- Other noun
phrase: that
size…

z
z

For plural
countable
nouns : the,
my, your…,
these, those,

PostModifier

om
l.c

ai

gm

@

an

Lu
n
va
c

a
th

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