Symbolism of numerals in the phraseological units.

Айкенова М. М.

руководитель Нармухаметова Н. М.

What is a numeral? Does it influence or surround our life? It may seem strange that being a person who practices Humanities I chose for investigation this topic related mostly to the science branch. It happens so thanks to the fact that there is no a thing in the world that can’t undergo a count. A word class (part of speech) of number words, specifically of counting words such as English 'two', 'eleven', and 'seventy-seven', is called a numeral in linguistics.

The theme my article is dedicated to are the numerals used in phraseological units which possess some veiled information which is understood only by the native speakers or the ones who are dedicated into the culture of the folk. These numerals are classified into permitted and prohibited or taboo numerals. The sense that the latest ones possess can lead to the negative actions and have contradictory effects on the relations of the people using them in speech inaccurately.

I chose for investigation not a large group of the phraseological units with numerals. The usage of the number component in other phraseological units can be understood by means of logic and situation we are talking about.

Most cultures consider certain numbers to be especially significant, even symbolic, what is reflected in their religions.

For example, number seven is of particular importance in the Arabic traditions, which originate in the Middle East. Some civilizations like Sumerian and Babylonian identified seven planets and framed seven days of the week around them. Seven was also known as a “perfect” number, symbol of completeness and goodness.

There are approximately twenty five references made to the number seven in the Quran, the sacred text of Muslims. These references usually concern the seven heavens, the seven periods of creation, seven groups of things, or seven individuals, such as the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. Thus, the number seven is directly linked to the power of the divine and has great symbolic value as an expression of Muslim belief and the miracles of God.

The number seven is also one of the most significant numbers in the Holy Bible. Jesus said: “to forgive SEVENTY times SEVEN” In other words he is saying, “Keep on forgiving until you are complete” Seven is the completeness of all things. The seventh time Noah’s name occurs is where it is said, “Noah was just a man, and PERFECT in his generations”. Here we see that the SEVEN stands for COMPLETENESS or SPIRITUAL PERFECTION.

From the point of view of the ancient symbolic, the numbers seven and nine have common features. Nine is the end-the finish point of the digital series up to its return to one. Seven can also mean the whole period or cycle. Therefore the numerals in some cases can be interchangeable. Thus, in the phraseological unit “on cloud seven (nine)” meaning “very happy” the usage of both numerals, from by way of the symbolism is quite understandable for they symbolize the maximum of the possible, the limit.

“The ten commandments” – is the first phraseological unit with the numeral “ten” deserves attention if it is observed from the symbolic point of view. “Ten” can symbolize the spiritual achievement, love to God and the nearest and dearest as it is mentioned in the “Comparative Dictionary of the Mythological Symbolism in the Indo-European languages”, that totally corresponds to this phraseological unit. The symbolism in the phraseological units “ten to one” and “the upper ten/ten thousand” (“the top of the society, aristocracy”) conforms with the interpretation of the number nine, the maximally possible, the limit.

The number symbolizing success and happiness according to the “Dictionary of Symbols and Imagery” is “six”. The phraseological unit “crooked sixpence” means “talisman” in the belief spread in England. It is a well-known fact that the number group from one to twelve is considered in some folks to be the higher unit, later confined into the basis of the further calculation. Some people still keep it on the measuring system, particularly in the inch system of the length measuring. Here appears the phraseological unit “six of one and half a dozen of the other” (“useless”) and the reason of the usage of “six” should be investigated not in itself, but in the numeral “twelve”. E.g. “Mostly they come for skill- or idleness. Six of one and half a dozen of the other”.

The expression “four sixth” sends us back to the decree “on the State and public property theft” dating back to July 4, 1947, which envisaged the sentence to imprisonment from ten to twenty five years.

“The eleventh of September” is used relating to the terror act in New York on September 11, 2001. The mentioned phraseological units possess the quality sense linked to the memory of the concrete precedent. The degree of the actuality of each precedent depends on the degree of its historical “freshness” and notification of the particular language user.

We can usually hear such an expression of blame, “You are always doing everything at the eleventh hour!” This phraseological unit is defined as “at the last moment”. E.g. “War, which seemed certain, was prevented at the eleventh hour”.

The usage of the numeral “five” in the phraseological unit “not to know how many beans make five” has the following definition: “not to be clear-headed, not to be sensible in practical matters”. The usage of the numeral “five” can be interpreted by the supposition that the calculation in the Proto-Indo-European was quinary.

As we see, the phraseological units, where the usage of the numeral can have an explanation, from the point of view of the symbolism, make not a big group. It is obvious that any kind of the symbolic meaning can be interpreted in various ways. The symbolic features of the whole period, limit or cycle are more often used in the numerals seven and nine. The other symbolic senses are met far rarely. The most well-known are “happiness, success” (seven, six).

My research has driven me to the understanding of the fact that the problem of the symbolism of the numerals in the phraseological units is extremely wide and polyhedral and I only tried to outline the way for the further, more fundamental working out.

Phrases appear and die out every day; nevertheless some of them still stay immortal and even up-to-date. The myriad of numerals surround us throughout our lifetime, the events that are connected to them stay in our minds and later have a concrete reflection on our fortunes, actions and thoughts. So let us have less “Septembers 11” and always be “on cloud nine”.

References:

1. Dictionary of Symbols and Imagery.

2. Comparative Dictionary of the Mythological Symbolism in the Indo-European language.

3. Большой словарь жаргона (М., 1990)

4. “РосБизнесКонсалтинг”, информационный портал URL: http://top.rbc.ru

5. http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numeral