How the English, Italians, and Slovenians break bread: Phraseological units with bread across three languages and cultures
How the English, Italians, and Slovenians break bread: Phraseological units with bread across three languages and cultures

Summary/Abstract: The paper presents a contrastive–comparative research on English, Italian, and Slovenian phraseological units with the word bread. First, it focuses on the etymological origins, and then it explores the similarities and differences in the meanings of the word bread and its phraseological units. Additionally, common and distinctive phraseological units, their frequency, and their intrinsic cognitive ideals are examined. The findings reveal that the three languages share the same Proto–Indo–European ancestry and sentimental anachronism. Nonetheless, different cultural, historical, political, and societal traditions have generated phraseological units distinctive of the three languages. Slovenian excels in the overall use of phraseological units and in the use of proverbs, whereas English and Italian mirror extensive influences of the Bible. Th e Italian language also reflects close ties to Roman heritage. Even if it may seem as though the proverbs are declining in use, examples of modifications more in touch with the present times prove their relevance. Lastly, the canonic pieces of literature influence the emergence and use of phraseological units.

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