Seminar 4
.docxSeminar
Historical Changeability of the Semantic Structure of English Words (2 hrs)
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Causes of semantic change: linguistic, extra-linguistic.
EX-L
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various changes in the life of the speech community
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changes in economic and social structures
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changes in culture, knowledge, technology, arts
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changes of ideas, scientific concepts, way of life
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e.g. pen Latin penna – “feather of a bird”
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mill – “a building in which corn is ground into flour” (primary meaning)
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“textile factory” (secondary meaning)
L
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factors acting within the language system
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ellipsis – a change of meaning when the meaning of a word-combination is given to only one word of this combination
to starve
OE steorfan – “to die” – sterven of hunger
Modern E starve – “to die from hunger”
daily
daily – “happening every day” – a daily newspaper
daily – “a daily newspaper”
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discrimination of synonyms – conflict of synonyms when a perfect synonym of a native word is borrowed from other language
tide
OE tide – 1)”time” 2)”season” 3)”hour”
from French – time, season, hour
Modern English tide – “regular rise and fall of the sea caused by the moon”
deer
OE deor – “any beast”
animal – a borrowed word
deer – “a certain kind of animal”
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Nature of semantic change: linguistic metaphor; linguistic metonymy.
Nature – a condition for any semantic change – association between the old meaning and the new one.
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similarity of meanings
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contiguity of meanings
Metaphor – appearance of a new meaning as a result of associating two objects (phenomena, qualities, etc.) due to their resemblance.
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similarity of shape – e.g. head of a cabbage, teeth of a saw, bottleneck
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similarity of position – e.g. foot of a page, of a mountain
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similarity of function, behavior – e.g. a bookworm, a (minute) hand
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similarity of colour – e.g. orange, hazel, chesnut
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complex similarity – e.g. a leg of a table – similarity in shape, position, function
Metonymy – association of two referents one of which makes part of the other or is closely connected with it.
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the material of which an object is made may become the name of the object – e.g. an iron, a mink (“mink coat”)
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the name of the place may become the name of the people or of an object placed there – e.g. the city was exited, the White House (“the administration of the USA”)
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names of musical instruments may become names of musicians when they are united in an orchestra – e.g. the violin, the piano
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the name of some person may become a common noun – e.g. sandwich (Lord Sandwich), boycott (the Boycotts)
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names of inventors very often become terms to denote things they invented – e.g. watt, om
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geographical names may be used for things produced there – e.g. china (porcelain), astrakhan (a sheep fur)
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the name of a thing may be used for its content – e.g. the kettle is boiling
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the name of a painter is used for his masterpieces – e.g. a Matisse (a painting by Matisse)
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Types of semantic change: broadening (generalization); narrowing (specialization); degradation (degeneration); elevation (amelioration).
change in the range of meaning
Changing of Denotational Meaning
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restriction of meanings (narrowing) – restriction of the types or referents denoted by the word
e.g. OE “hound” – a dog of any greed
Modern English “hound” – a dog used in chase
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extension of meanings (widening) – application of the word to wider variety of referents
e.g. OE “trunk” – the main stem of a tree
Modern English “trunk” – the body of anything
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specialization - the word with a new meaning (restricted) comes to be used in the specialized vocabulary
e.g. OE glide -“to move gently and smoothly”
Modern English “glide” -to fly with no engine
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generalization – the word with the extended meaning passes from the specialized vocabulary into common use
e.g. OE “salary” – money given to soldiers to buy salt with
Modern English “salary” – money paid to clerks
Changing in Connotational Meaning
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pejoration (degradation, degeneration) – a word acquires some negative derogatory emotive charge
e.g. OE “boor”- a villager, a peasant
Modern English “boor” – a clumsy or ill-bred fellow
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amelioration (elevation) – improvement of the connotational component
e.g. OE “minister” – a servant, an attendant
Modern English “minister” – a civil servant of higher rank
Other changes of semantic meaning
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hyperbole
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irony
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euphemism
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taboo
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litotes
Hyperbole
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the exaggerated statement which should not be understood literally as it expresses an emotional attitude of a speaker to what he is speaking about
e.g. I haven’t seen you for ages
e.g. You’ll be the death for me
Irony
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the expression of one mening by words of opposite sense, usually it is done for the purpose of ridicule
How nice! (when you are angry)
A pretty mess you’ve done of it!
Euphemism
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referring to something unpleasant by using milder words and phrases so that a formerly inoffensive word receives a disagreeable meaning
e.g. to pass away (to die)
e.g. diseased (dead)
Taboo
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the case when it is prohibited to pronounce a word and it is replaced by another word or a word-combination
Litotes
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expressing the affirmative by the negative of its contrary
e.g. not bad =good
e.g. not small = great
Reading material
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Lecture: Semantic change.
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Зыкова, И.В. Практический курс английской лексикологии / И.В. Зыкова. – М.: Академия, 2008 – с. 27 – 29, 36 – 37 (Tasks 4 – 6).
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Луканина, Е.А. Практикум по лексикологии для студентов факультета лингвистики: учебное пособие / Е.А. Луканина, О.И. Бабина. – Челябинск: Издательский центр ЮУрГУ, 2013. – Ex. 1-2 (p 35-37).
collect - 4. to regain control of (oneself or one's thoughts, faculties, composure, or the like):
At the news of her promotion, she took a few minutes to collect herself.
1. to gather together; assemble:
The professor collected the students' exams.)
linguistic context (lexical)
ancient - 5.old-fashioned or antique.
(1.of or in time long past, especially before the end of the Western Roman Empire a.d.)
extra-linguistic context
receiver - 2.a device or apparatus that receives electrical signals, waves, or the like, and renders them perceptible to the senses
( 1.a person or thing that receives.)
extra-linguistic context (a receiver of the phone)
1.d
2.b
3.d
4.b
5.f
6.a
7.a
8. money - generalization
9. omnibus - metonymy?
10. opera - elevation
11. orgy - pejoration
12. paradise - metaphor
13. queue - metaphor
14. sinister - pejoration
15. soldier - elevation?
1. laundered - pejoration
2. tycoon - generalization (European people used to call shoguns this way, now a powerful person)
3. brass - начальник. вообще brass - латунь
4. Holbeins - metonymy
5. Solomon - metaphor
6. Rubicon - metaphor
7. Beethoven, Picasso, Shakespeare - generalization (Picasso > brilliant artist)
8. the board - начальство. вообще хз. не очень у меня с начальством
9. outfit - generalization (uniform > clothes)
10. effects - specialization (personal property)
11. affair - specialization (thing)
12. above - metaphor
13.b
14.d
15.f
16.d
17.b
18.a
19.c
20.c
21.e
22.c
23.d
24.f