Kinship Terms in Idiom Dictionaries: Linguistic, Semantic and Cultural Analysis

Abstract

Idioms are fossilized linguistic structures that embody a language’s lexicon, cultural accumulation, and societal value judgments. Typically bearing figurative meanings, idioms contribute depth and expressiveness to both spoken and written discourse. Serving as a cultural memory that transmits collective experiences and worldviews across generations, idioms constitute one of the fundamental components of linguistic expression. This study aims to reveal the use of kinship terms in idom dictionaries and cultural, social, and linguistic reflections of these usages. Baed on document analysis -one of the qualitative research methodsdata compiled from various idiom dictionaries were analyzed to examine the contexts, metaphorical implications, and figurative uses of kinship terms such as mother, father, sibling, child, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law. The findings demonstrate the richness and cultural depth of the Turkish language. Kinship terms function as significant linguistic markers reflecting social structure and cultural values. The examined idioms show that kinship terms are predominantly used in metaphorical or extended senses, associated with authority, protection, gender roles, character traits, behavioral patterns, and life experiences. These uses reveal the importance attributed to kinship relations in Turkish society and highlight hierarchical structures within the family. Overall, the linguistic data illustrate the multidimensional meanings of kinship concepts in idioms and show that idioms are not merely linguistic items but also mirrors of social identity and cultural memory. In conclusion, this study highlights the strong connection between the semantic richness of idioms and social dynamics, as well as the cultural depth of the Turkish language.