Abstract:
Our aim is to study phraseological units that have numbers in their construction. The
material was collected from phras eological dictionaries of Russian and Serbian languages. In
both languages, phraseological units with sacred numbers appear frequently in speech and
writing, for example: Rus. книга за семью печатями Srb. књига за седам печата a closed
book , literally a book with seven seals”]; Rus. за сем ью запорами Srb. иза седам
брава/катанаца under lock and key literally “well guarded”] Rus. сем ь смертн ы х грехов
Srb. седам смртних греха capital sins , literally “seven deadly sins”]; Rus. за тридев я т ь
земел ь Srb. преко седам/девет брда планина at (to) the other end of the world literally
“very far Rus. чувствоват ь себ я на сед ь мом небе Srb. бити на
седмом/деветом/десетом небу [[(be) in seventh heaven literally “(to be, feel) boundlessly
happy”]; Ru s. в трех шагах от кого , от чего Srb. два три корака within a stoneʼs throw
of , literally “ very close (to s.o. or sth.), very near”]. Phraseological units with numeric
components are regarded as a descriptive meta language. This analysis can provide an insight
into relationships between culture and language.
