The description of idioms in Persian dictionaries and its usage in lexicography: a cognitive semantic approach

 With the emergence of electronic dictionaries and due to the inadequacies of existing Persian dictionaries, a scientific and theory-based approach is required in lexicography. One of the most important problems in lexicography, is the way of arranging idioms and idiomatic expressions. The purpose of the current study is to organize idioms and idiomatic expressions in dictionaries in a non-linear way. To achieve the purpose of the study, the following research question was proposed: How to use a way other than the usual alphabetical and linear way based on which idioms and idiomatic expressions are presented in dictionaries? To do this, based on descriptive-analytical method and cognitive semantics approach and its concepts, such as conceptual metaphor and conceptual metonymy, as well as conventional knowledge, the authors have examined the data extracted from Sokhan (Anvary, 1382) two-volume Persian dictionary. The results indicated that by presenting metaphoric and metonymic boxes in dictionaries, and based on the conventional knowledge of the language speakers, a non-linear way can be proposed for arranging idioms and their equivalents. But not all idioms could be analyzed based on conceptual metaphor, conceptual metonymy and conventional knowledge, because some idioms were made through the non-figurative part of the language and could be analyzed accordingly.