An Analysis of Idiomatic Expressions Used in Things Fall Apart Novel

This study examines the idiomatic expressions used and interpreted in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, emphasizing how they convey the Igbo people's cultural values and social dynamics in the face of colonial influence. The data are taken from the novel Things Fall Apart. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, the research identifies different types of idioms, based on Makkai theory, including phrasal verb idioms, tournure idioms, irreversible binominal idioms, phrasal compound idioms, incorporating verb idioms and pseudo idioms. Meanwhile, the meaning of idiomatic expressions is based on the context in which they appear. The findings reveal how Achebe uses these linguistic techniques to articulate social interactions, moral philosophies, emotional landscapes, and tensions between tradition and modernity thereby reaching the research objective of the importance of idiomatic expressions as tools for preserving and transmitting Igbo cultural heritage, providing a deeper understanding of the cultural and psychological dimensions of the novel.