Pilnować, strzec jak źrenicy oka, jak oka w głowie. Losy zwrotu na tle pokrewnych konstrukcji frazeologicznych

Abstract

The paper brings an attempt to describe the formal and semantic as well as the etymological status of one of strongly fixed in Polish language somatic expressions: pilnować, strzec jak źrenicy oka, jak oka w głowie (to protect as an apple of the eye). The vicissitudes of the idiom are shown against the background of cognate items in both Polish and foreign languages. Analyses and comparisons led to a few general conclusions: 1. the need of more precise than it was before lexicological description of a part of somatic idioms; 2. the necessity of taking up comparative studies indicating the existence of universal cognitive and cultural categories as well as common topical spheres in multilingual idiomatic resources.