Comparison of phraseological units with zoonyms in English, German and Russian

Russian
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are considered anomalies of language.
Their meanings cannot be predicted

from the meaning of their constituents, and they have either partially or fully transferred meanings.
The origin of PU is different. Some are related to memorable events, some are political, others are religious.
Scientists identify native and borrowed phraseological units.

majority of phraseological units is unknown, but they may reflect

traditions, memorable events, customs, and beliefs of native speakers.
English: a black sheep.
German: die Katze aus dem Sack lassen.
Russian: медвежья услуга.
Borrowed Phraseological Units
These phraseologisms came from other languages.
English: every dog is a lion at home (from Italian).
German: Eulen nach Athen tragen (from Ancient Greek).
Russian: гадкий утенок (from English).

phraseological units is a dog, because it was considered as

a reliable human companion and was an important part of human’s life.
The use of zoonym “Pig” can be explained by the fact that pig breeding was one of the oldest types of animal husbandry in Germany.
Bears and Badgers were common in Europe, that is why they were used not only in phraseologisms but also in fairy tales and fables.

of the favorite animals among English people. England is also

deemed as home of horse races. It is second popular sport in England after football.
Dogs and cats as the most popular pets were frequently used in English phraseological units too.
Lion in English culture was an embodiment of strength, power, bravery and honor.

pets in their phraseological units.
The zoonym “Wolf” is used to

represent “evil” and has a negative connotation. It is because wolf was always an enemy of peasants and villagers.

languages under consideration.
German and Russian phraseological units have a lot

in common.
German and English units have little in common.
The same animals can personify different traits (good or bad) in different languages, what proves that word perception in different cultures can vary.