Diasystemic traits in synonymy relations among phraseological units in English

Abstract

Phraseology in general, and phraseological units (PU), in particular, have been the core of a number of theoretical debates on their denomination and classification. In addition to their classification — based on semantic, pragmatic, and syntactic criteria — the study of pu has traditionally focused on specific types and textual and discursive functions thereof, as well as on the relationships both between them and with other units of language. This article addresses the similarities between PUs, particularly at the level of lexico-semantic variants rather than lexemes as has been the common practice in lexicographic studies. On this basis, it aims at illustrating the role of diasystemic traits in the determination of PU synonymic groups and their core and peripheral traits.