15. Phraseology in a European framework: A cross-linguistic and cross-cultural research project on widespread idioms

Widespread idioms (WIs) are idioms that have the same lexical structure (or at least very similar structures) and the same figurative core meaning in various languages, including genetically unrelated and geographically distant languages. The project Widespread Idioms in Europe and Beyond to be outlined here is aimed at systematically investigating into potential WIs. Questionnaires that have been sent back for more than 70 languages are producing first results: different attempts at explaining cross-linguistic similarities of idioms (be it their genetic affiliation, spontaneous metaphorization in various languages, the common cultural European heritage or the increasing influence of English on other languages) can be qualified to a certain extent.