A Cultural Reflection Study of Chinese Idiomatic Expressions Containing the Word “鱼”(Fish)

บทคัดย่อ

The study on "The Cultural Reflections in Chinese Idioms Containing the Word“鱼”aims to analyze the cultural implications embedded within Chinese idioms that feature the character“鱼”. The researcher compiled 36 idioms containing the word“鱼”from the Chengyu Dictionary (Chengyu Dictionary Editorial Committee, 2020), and conducted an in-depth analysis to categorize their cultural reflections. The findings indicate that Chinese idioms containing “鱼”can be classified into four main categories of cultural reflection: (1) Natural Reflections, comprising 7 idioms (19.44%); (2) Behavioral and Psychological Reflections of Humans and Animals, the largest category, consisting of 27 idioms (75%); (3) Reflections on Lifestyle and Living Conditions, including 6 idioms (16.68%); and (4) Reflections on Beliefs and Religion, with 4 idioms (11.11%). Notably, some idioms exhibit characteristics of more than one category. Additionally, the study did not find any idioms that reflect aspects of music or traditional performances, as there is no evident connection between fish and musical instruments or folk entertainment in Chinese idiomatic expressions. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how language encodes cultural perceptions and values, highlighting the symbolic significance of fish in Chinese culture. Further comparative studies on idioms involving "鱼" in Chinese and their equivalents in Thai could provide valuable insights into cross-cultural linguistic patterns.