Z historii pewnego frazeologizmu: złożyć ręce w małdrzyk

In the present paper the autor is describing the etymology of one phraseologism – złożyć ręce (rączki/dłonie) w małdrzyk, which contains an isolated commponent (małdrzyk). According to the observations made in the article, the unit is strictly connected with the culture of the speaking society: it signifies (“fixes”) a gesture (forming hands in a specially way) and its meaning is the meaning of the gesture in communication, then the unit has got symbolic motivation (according to Lewicki). The phraseologism złożyć ręce w małdrzyk “lived” in the language as long as the behavior therefore it is hardly ever out of use in contemporary Polish.