The relationship between language and culture is deeply rooted in the human mind. Language is used to maintain and convey culture and cultural ties. Different ideas stem from differing language use within one’s culture and the whole intertwining of these relationships start at one’s birth. It is not until the child is exposed to their surroundings that they become individuals in and of their cultural group. From birth, the child’s life, opinions, and language are shaped by what it comes in contact with. Brooks (1968) argues that physically and mentally everyone is the same, while the interactions between persons or groups vary widely from place to place. Patterns which emerge from these group behaviours and interactions will be approved or
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Stereotypes and beliefs
Expressions in different languages that contain demonyms (Dumitrescu, 2015), specifically names of peoples or nations, like Chinese whispers (‘inaccurately transmitted gossip’) in English may simply refer to the country of origin of an item or practice, but can equally reflect how nations see one another, and the stereotypes they create to depict their neighbours, their enemies or another populations they know little about. Further analyse of idioms and its history can reveal things about both the people it denominates, and the people that uses it. Some of the expressions embody the strong cultural and historical ties between countries.
Nowadays, the term Russian roulette is used to name any act which, when repeated several times, is likely to have disastrous or very dangerous consequences. However, this is only a generalization of its first and more specific meaning as Dumitrescu points:
‘'game of chance in which each player in turn spins the cylinder of a revolver loaded with only one cartridge and presses the trigger with the barrel against his own head’' (Dumitrescu, …show more content…
The double Dutch is used in English for language that is impossible to understand. Speaking of Dutch, English provides several other expressions using this demonym, like Dutch courage, Dutch gold, Dutch uncle and in Dutch. Many have an offensive connotation, which may be connected to the rivalry between the English and the Dutch in the 17th century. Among such expressions, going Dutch (also called Dutch date or Dutch treat) indicates that each participant in a group activity, especially in restaurant meals, pays for themselves rather than any person paying for anyone else. It is unclear where the idiom originated from, but may have to do with their stereotypical portrayal of
Stereotypes and beliefs
Expressions in different languages that contain demonyms (Dumitrescu, 2015), specifically names of peoples or nations, like Chinese whispers (‘inaccurately transmitted gossip’) in English may simply refer to the country of origin of an item or practice, but can equally reflect how nations see one another, and the stereotypes they create to depict their neighbours, their enemies or another populations they know little about. Further analyse of idioms and its history can reveal things about both the people it denominates, and the people that uses it. Some of the expressions embody the strong cultural and historical ties between countries.
Nowadays, the term Russian roulette is used to name any act which, when repeated several times, is likely to have disastrous or very dangerous consequences. However, this is only a generalization of its first and more specific meaning as Dumitrescu points:
‘'game of chance in which each player in turn spins the cylinder of a revolver loaded with only one cartridge and presses the trigger with the barrel against his own head’' (Dumitrescu, …show more content…
The double Dutch is used in English for language that is impossible to understand. Speaking of Dutch, English provides several other expressions using this demonym, like Dutch courage, Dutch gold, Dutch uncle and in Dutch. Many have an offensive connotation, which may be connected to the rivalry between the English and the Dutch in the 17th century. Among such expressions, going Dutch (also called Dutch date or Dutch treat) indicates that each participant in a group activity, especially in restaurant meals, pays for themselves rather than any person paying for anyone else. It is unclear where the idiom originated from, but may have to do with their stereotypical portrayal of