An idiom is an expression where the words taken together mean something different from what the individual meanings of the words would lead you to expect. Idioms are often unique, only occurring in a particular language, though sometimes something parallel can be found elsewhere. Sometimes they are called “idiomatic expressions”. Thus an “idiomatic expression” is a phrase that is natural and meaningful in a particular language, although not necessarily in other languages. These are some examples of idioms in the Mixtec of Mixtepec:
| Tsi'i yu soko |
I’m dying of hunger. (I am very hungry.) |
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| Tsani kuii |
Strike a mortal blow. (Almost kill.) |
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| Tsain yu yaa |
I am stepping on the music. (I am dancing.) |
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| Ntaki'in yu ichi |
I grab the road. (I am leaving.) |
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| Ntasaa yu |
I am getting hot (under the collar). (I am angry.) |
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| Ntsasi ra yu'u yu |
He shut my mouth. (He made me be quiet.) |
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| Tsa'a ra ichi |
He gives the road (gives way). (He gives permission.) |
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