Idioms represent a fascinating linguistic phenomenon that has captured the attention of many linguists for decades. This corpus-based study of idioms in Modern Standard Arabic sheds light on their intricate nature, establishes the major patterns of their linguistic behaviour, and provides explanations for these patterns.

Adopting a descriptive framework, the study addresses two main issues with regard to the discursive behaviour of idioms: the discursive functions that they perform and the ways in which they contribute to the cohesion of their texts. Examining primary data with...