A contrastive study Of connotation of The vietnamese zodiac animals in english and vietnamese idioms and proverbs

Abstract

Animals, especially VZAs, appear a lot in idioms and proverbs which are used frequently in English and Vietnamese. Due to the fact that animals in cultures convey meanings differently, learners of English and Vietnamese languages find difficulty in understand them, particularly in idioms and proverbs. This study aims to investigate the connotations of some animals, the VZAs, in idioms and proverbs of the two languages. More specifically, the study attempts to describe connotative meanings of each VZA in English and Vietnamese, compare and contrast their meanings between the two languages to find out the similarities and differences, and try to explain the causes of these similarities and differences. It also suggests some implications for translating, teaching and learning animal idioms and proverbs in particular and the languages in general. In order to achieve the aims and objectives, a contrastive analysis of data collected from the dictionaries is conducted on both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Hopefully, the findings of the study will help the leaners of English and Vietnamese have better understanding of not only VZAs’ connotations used in the idioms and proverbs of the two languages but also the two unique cultures.