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(d"m), n.[F. idiome, L. idioma, fr. Gr. 'idi°wma, fr. 'idioy^n to make a person's own, to make proper or peculiar; fr. 'i°dios one's own, proper, peculiar; prob. akin to the reflexive pronoun o"y^, o'i^, 'e°, and to "eo°s, 'o°s, one's own, L. suus, and to E. so.] 1. The syntactical or structural form peculiar to any language; the genius or cast of a language. Idiom may be employed loosely and figuratively as a synonym of language or dialect, but in its proper sense it signifies the totality of the general rules of construction which characterize the syntax of a particular language and distinguish it from other tongues. G. P. Marsh. By idiom is meant the use of words which is peculiar to a particular language. J. H. Newman. He followed their language [the Latin], but did not comply with the idiom of ours. Dryden. 2. An expression conforming or appropriate to the peculiar structural form of a language; in extend use, an expression sanctioned by usage, having a sense peculiar to スポンサード リンク
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