idiomatický

Idiomatický is a Czech adjective used to describe language, expressions, or usage that follows established idioms and sounds natural to native speakers. In linguistic terms, something idiomatický relates to idioms — fixed expressions whose meaning may not be directly predictable from the individual words. The concept is central to discussions of natural language, translation, and phraseology.

Etymology and related terms: idiomatický derives from the noun idiom (borrowed from Latin via Greek idios, meaning “one’s own” or private) with the Czech adjectival suffix -atický. The related noun idiom denotes a fixed, conventional expression, while idiomatický describes property or behavior that conforms to idiomatic usage. The counterpart in translation is the idiomatic translation, which preserves idioms rather than translating literally.

Usage and significance: In description and analysis, idiomatický language is characterized by the frequent use of fixed expressions, collocations, and figurative meanings recognized by native speakers. For learners, achieving idiomatic proficiency often requires familiarity with culturally appropriate phrases and conventional wording. In translation, aiming for idiomatický output means prioritizing natural-sounding phrasing over word-for-word correspondence, even if the literal meaning differs.

Distinctions: A phrase can be idiomatic without being opaque; some idioms are transparent in meaning (part of the phrase still conveys the message logically), while others are non-transparent or opaque. Distinguishing idiomatic from literal usage helps in pedagogy, lexicography, and computational linguistics, where models may need to identify and process fixed expressions.

See also: idiom, idiom, idiomatic expression, phraseology, idiomatic translation.