Colloquialism

Colloquialism / noun :

First Page Mentioned : Not directly mentioned within the narrative

From the Latin ' com ' (together) and the early European (PIE) ' loqui ' ' *tolkw- ' (to speak), colloquialism literally means what its roots suggest: something that has come from conversation. Anything that has an readily discernible meaning which isn't a formal way to speak or address, as dictated by the laws of the language, is a colloquialism. These usually come in terms of phrases, such as “Pity Party” and “With Bated Breath”. Colloquialisms can also cross classifications, such as being metaphors. However, it should be noted that they are not idioms, since their definitions are mutually exclusive. Where the meaning of colloquialisms can be discerned by dissecting the sentence, since they compare things that are related, idioms require an understanding of the source being referenced, as they compare things which don't seem to be related.

Related Entries: Idiom; Metaphor; Pity Party; With Bated Breath

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