idiom
UK[ˈɪd.i.əm]US[ˈɪd.i.əm]
n
A group of words whose meaning is different from the meanings of the individual words.
n
A style or form of expression that is characteristic of a particular person, group of people, or period.
Etymology
The word 'idiom' entered English in the late 16th century via French and Latin from the Greek word 'idiōma', meaning 'private or peculiar phraseology'. This Greek term derived from 'idiousthai', 'to make one's own', which itself came from 'idios', meaning 'own, private, distinct'. The core logic traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root swé, meaning 'self'. Thus, the semantic journey is from the concept of 'that which is one's own' or 'peculiarity' to the specific linguistic sense of a phrase whose meaning is peculiar to itself and not deducible from its parts. It captures the idea of a form of expression distinctive to a particular language or group.
Analysis
The word 'idiom' is a simplex loanword from Greek via Latin and French. It cannot be meaningfully segmented into productive morphemes in modern English spelling.
Examples
"Break a leg" is a common idiom used to wish someone good luck.
The novelist's rich use of local idiom brought the characters to life.
Understanding idioms is often one of the biggest challenges for language learners.