单击此处编辑母版标题样式,单击此处编辑母版文本样式,第二级,第三级,第四级,第五级,*,单击此处编辑母版标题样式,单击此处编辑母版文本样式,第二级,第三级,第四级,第五级,*,Chapter 5,Change of Meaning,Chapter 5Change of Meaning,1,Objectives of this chapter,To understand the nature of semantic change;,To learn the major modes of semantic change:,extension,narrowing,elevation,degradation,transfer,;,To understand the causes of semantic change.,Objectives of this chapterTo u,2,Vocabulary,1.most unstable element of a language,2.undergoing constant changes both in form and content,paratively,meaning even more unstable,Vocabulary1.most unstable ele,3,Quirk:.almost every word we use today has a slightly different meaning from the one it had a century ago,and a century ago it had a slightly different meaning from the one it had a century before that.,Quirk:.almost every word w,4,Shakespeares use,If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus,the,rivals,of my watch,bid them make haste(from Hamlet),（Hamlet里Barnardo说）你若是遇见我的同班的伙伴何瑞修和马赛勒斯，叫他们快点来,rival=partner,the rivals of my watch：我的守夜的伙伴们（上面译文中的同班，指的是同一班守卫）,How,pregnant,sometimes his replies are,（Polonius在解读Hamlet装疯的痴话时说）,pregnant=meaningful,Shakespeares use If you do me,5,Contents,1.Polysemy,2.Types of semantic change,Contents1.Polysemy2.Types of,6,1.Polysemy,Definition:,the same word may have two or more different meanings,When a word is first coined,it is always,monosemic,.But in the course of development,the same symbol must be used to express more meanings.The result is,polysemy,.But,How does a word acquire new meanings?,In what way are the meanings related to one another?,1.PolysemyDefinition:the sam,7,(1)Primary meaning&derivative meaning,Primary meaning refers to what a word originally meant and the derivative meaning refers to the meaning springing from the original meaning.,This process can be demonstrated by the following chart.,(1)Primary meaning&derivati,8,leg,leg,9,Further notes on primary meaning&derivative meaning,There are also many instances in which the primary meaning gave birth to new meanings,and as a result the,primary meaning became either obsolete or disappeared,altogether.,harvest,-time of cutting,(primary meaning),-reaping and gathering the crops,a seasons yield of grain or fruit,(derivative meanings),pain,-penalty or punishment preserved only in such phrases as“pains and penalty”and“upon/under pain of”,(primary meaning),-suffering,great discomfort of the body or mind,(derived meanings),Further notes on primary meani,10,(2)Central meaning&secondary meaning,Radiation:,an important process by which words extend their meaning.,The primary or central meaning appears at the center in the form of a,hub,and secondary meanings radiate out from it like the,spoke,of a wheel.,Example:see,P90,(2)Central meaning&secondar,11,Radiation,This kind of developing process can bedemonstrated by the following picture.,RadiationThis kind of developi,12,Radiation,Each of the secondary meaning is independent of all the rest,and may be traced back to the central signification.,power,(ability to act),control over ones subordinate,delegated authority,physical strength,RadiationEach of the secondary,13,Concatenation,Concatenation,:opposed to radiation,it means a word,moves gradually away from its original sense,as a result of successive semantic changes until there is not a trace of connection between the sense that is finally developed and the primary sense.,ConcatenationConcatenation:op,14,Concatenation,This process can be demonstrated by the following chart:,ConcatenationThis process can,15,Concatenation,gay,(WNWD-Webster s New World Dictionary,韦氏新世界美语词典,):,(1)joyous and lively;merry;happy,(2)bright,brilliant,(3)given to social life and pleasure,(4)wanton;licentious,(5)homosexual,The arrangement follows the natural development.,Concatenationgay(WNWD-Webste,16,gay,(LDCE-Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English朗文当代高级词典),(1)homosexual,(2)bright or attractive,(3)cheerful;happy;full of fun,gay(LDCE-Longman Dictionary,17,gay,(CCELD-Collins COBUILD English Language Dictionary 柯林斯合作英语词典),(1)homosexual,(2)lively and enjoyable(person),(3)lively and interesting(place),(4)bright and pretty(colour),(5)lively and pleasant(music),Labour Day,Labour Day,We are happy and gay!,gay(CCELD-Collins COBUILD En,18,Radiation and Concatenation,Radiation and concatenation are closely related,but are different stages of the development leading to polesemy.,Generally,radiation precedes concatenation.,In many cases,the two processes work together,complementing each other.,Radiation and ConcatenationRad,19,2.,Types of semantic change,Word-meaning changes by modes of,extension,narrowing,elevation,degradation,and,transfer,.Of these,extension and narrowing are by far the most common.,b.,Specialization/,Restriction of meaning,c.Elevation/Amelioration of meaning,d.Degradation/Degeneration of meaning,a.,Generalization,/Extension of meaning,g.Transference of meaning,e.The use of abstract for the concrete or vice versa,f.Common words from proper names,2.Types of semantic changeWo,20,Task:,Do you k