Keywords
Abstract
Proper names in English idioms represent a special intersection of language, culture, and collective memory. In such expressions, a name no longer functions only as a marker of a unique person or place; it becomes a condensed semantic sign carrying evaluation, narrative association, historical experience, and cultural symbolism. The study of idioms with anthroponyms, toponyms, biblical names, mythological names, and literary names demonstrates that phraseology preserves layers of national worldview that cannot be reduced to literal meaning alone. Expressions such as Achilles’ heel, Pandora’s box, carry coals to Newcastle, a doubting Thomas, or Jekyll and Hyde show how English encodes ethical judgments, social stereotypes, cultural allusions, and intertextual memory through proper names.
References
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