Structural classification of phraseological units

Prof. Smirnitsky worked out a detailed classification of phraseological units, comparing them with words. He points out one-top units which he compares with affixed words because affixed words have only one root morpheme. He points out two-tops units which he compares with compound words because in compound words usually have two root morphemes.

a) units of the type to give up (verb + postposition type), e.g. to art up – прикрашати, to hack up – п1дтримувати, to drop out – в1дс1ятися (про студента), to nose out – розвідувати, to buy into - купитися, to sandwich in – утиснутися - etc;

b) units of type to be tired. Some of these units remained the Passive Voice in their structure but they have different prepositions with them, while in the Passive Voice we can have only prepositions by or with, e.g. to be tired of, to be interested in, to be surprised at etc. In these units the verb is the grammar center and the second component is the semantic center;

c) prepositional-nominal phraseological units. These units are equivalents of unchangeable words: prepositions, conjunctions, adverbs, that is why they have no grammar center, their semantic center is the nominal part, e.g. on the doorstep – quite near, on the nose – exactly, in the course of – during, on the stroke of – in time, on the point of etc.

Among two-top units A.I.Smirnitsky points out the following structural types:

a) attributive-nominal, such as: a month of Sundays – ц1ла в1чн1сть, grey matter -розум, a millstone round one’s neck – кам1ння на ши1 and many others. Units of this type are noun equivalents and can be partly or perfectly idiomatic;

b) verb-nominal phraseological units, e.g. to read between the lines – розум1ти схований зм1ст, to sweep under the carpet – приховувати. The grammar centre of such units is the verb, the semantic centre in many cases is the nominal component, e.g. to fall in love;

c) phraseological repetitions,such as: now or never – зараз чи н1коли, part and parcel – нев1д’ємна частина. Such units can be built on antonyms, e.g. tops and downs – злет 1 пад1ння, back and forth – вперед та назад.

Like compound words, phraseological units can have more than two tops (stems in compound words), e.g. to take a back seat – займати другорядне положення; a peg to hang a thing on – в1дмова, lock, stock and barrel - оптом, to be a shadow of one’s own self – бути тінню самого себе, at one’s own sweet will – за власним бажанням etc.