A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE SEMANTICS AND CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS OF IDIOMS CONTAINING “目” (EYE) IN CHINESE AND VIETNAMESE

Abstract

Idioms containing the character “目” (eye) play an important role in reflecting the linguistic thinking of the Chinese and Vietnamese peoples. However, research related to idioms containing “目” (eye) in Chinese and Vietnamese remains limited. This paper employs a quantitative research method to compile statistics on the number of idioms, categorize them into semantic groups, and identify similarities and differences in meaning between idioms containing the element “目” (eye) in Chinese and Vietnamese. The results show that Chinese idioms not only outnumber their Vietnamese counterparts but also exhibit a greater variety of semantic groups, indicating a stronger tendency in Chinese to use idioms containing the character “目”. In both languages, idioms containing “目” (eye) most frequently appear in semantic group No. 4 expressing human psychological activities suggesting that both peoples share a common cognitive perception of “目” (eye) using the features, states, and movements of the eyes to convey abstract inner emotions. The research findings help learners understand words, characters, as well as the culture and linguistic thinking of the Chinese and Vietnamese peoples.