LANGUAGE AS A MIRROR OF CULTURE: PHRASEOLOGY IN THE SPANISH LANGUAGE

Abstract

Phraseological units (idioms, proverbs, set expressions) are compact repositories of cultural knowledge. This article examines how Spanish phraseology reflects and reproduces Spanish cultural models — values, historical experience, social norms, and emotional orientation. Building on theoretical work in cultural linguistics and phraseology, the paper offers a semantic classification of key phraseological domains, then analyses a carefully selected set of Spanish phraseological units in depth (12 items) to show how figurative structure, usage, pragmatic force, and translational behavior reveal cultural patterns. The study argues that phraseology functions both as a mirror (reflecting cultural patterns) and as a cultural engine (reproducing and adapting values in real discourse).