EnglishLexicology

ReadingsTaskIXCheckChapter7&8ofASurveyofEnglishLexicologyKeypointsinthebookwillbediscussednextweekReviewofLectureIX1.ChangeofMeaning2.TypesofChangeMeaningExtensionMeaningNarrowingMeaningElevationMeaningDegradationMeaningTransference3.MotivationsofChangeInternallinguisticfactorsexternallinguisticfactorsLectureX

SemanticRelationshipLectureXSemanticRelationship1.Polysemy2.Homonymy3.Synonymy4.Antonymy5.HyponymySemanticRelationshipSemantically,allwordsarerelatedinonewayoranother.Inlightofmeaningrelations,wordscanbeclassifiedsemantically.PolysemyPolysemymeansapluralityofmeaning.InEnglishasinanylanguagethenumberofmeaningsislargerthanthenumberofwords.Withwords,itmaybesaidthatpolysemyistherule,andmonosemyistheexception.

Polysemy

RelationshipbetweenmeaningandconceptWordconceptreferentwordConcept1Concept2Concept3Referent1Referent2Referent3Polysemycrane

1.Acraneisakindoflargebirdwithalongneckandlonglegs.2.Acraneisalargemachinethatmovesheavythingsbyliftingthemintheair.e.g.Thelittlehutwasliftedawaybyahugecrane.3.Ifyoucraneyourneckorhead,youstretchyourneckinaparticulardirectioninordertoseeorhearsomethingbetter.e.g.Shecranedhernecktogetabetterview...PolysemyPleasecomparethefollowing:Heisafatheroftwogirls.Heisover30now.Whynothaveagirl?I’llhaveagirlhelpyou.PolysemyIfpolysemyisvieweddiachronically,itisunderstoodasthegrowthanddevelopmentor,ingeneral,achangeinthesemanticstructureoftheword.Semanticchangesresultasaruleinmeaningsbeingaddedtotheonesalreadyexistinginthesemanticstructureoftheword.PolysemySynchronicallyweunderstandpolysemyasthecoexistenceofvariousmeaningsofthesamewordinacertainhistoricalperiodofthedevelopmentoftheEnglishlanguage.HomonymyHomonymsarewordsdifferentinmeaningandeitheridenticalbothinsoundandspellingoridenticalonlyinspellingorsound.HomonymyClassificationofEnglishhomonyms:a.Perfecthomonymsareidenticalbothinsoundandinspellingbutdifferentinmeaning,e.g.

bear(n.)/bear(v.)b.

homographsareidenticalinspellingbutdifferentinsoundandmeaning,e.g.

tear(n.)/tear(v)c.homophones

areidenticalinsoundbutdifferentinspellingandmeaning,e.g.dear/deer.Homonymy(Inarestaurant)A:Waiter!B:Yes,sir.A:What’sthis?B:It’sbeansoup,sir.A:Nomatterwhatit’sbeen,whatisitnow?beanorbeenTheyarehomophones.HomonymyWhyshouldamannevertellhissecretsinacornfield?Becausetherearesomanyears.earsorearsTheyarehomographs.HomonymyWhyistheMiddleAgesalsocalledtheDarkAges?BecausethereweresomanyKnights.knightsornightsTheyarehomophones.Fromtheaboveexamples,wecanseethathomonymsareoftenemployedtocreatepunsfordesiredeffectofhumororironyforstylisticpurposes.HomonymySynonymySynonymsaretraditionallydescribedaswordsdifferentinsoundandformbutidenticalorsimilarinmeaning.EnglishsynonymscanbedefinedastwoormorewordsoftheEnglishlanguage,belongingtothesamepartofspeechandpossessingoneormoreidenticalornearlyidenticaldenotationalmeaningsinterchangeableatleastinsomecontexts,butdifferinginsoundandform,shadesofmeaningandidiomaticuse.SynonymyWord1Word2Word3Concept1Referent1Word4……SynonymyMotivationsofsynonyms:borrowingWordsofnativeoriginformmanycoupletsandtripletswiththoseborrowedfromotherlanguages.SynonymyMotivationsofsynonyms:borrowingNativeBorrowedroomchamberfoeenemyhelpaidleavedepartbodilycorporalSynonymyMotivationsofsynonyms:borrowingNativeFrenchLatintimeageepochbellystomachabdomenfireflameconflagrationaskquestioninterrogateMatchthefollowingnativetermswiththeirLatincounterparts.

Native

Latinfriendshipmaternalheartyenemyinneramityouteracutemotherlycordialsharpinteriordeedactionfoeexterior

Inthispattern,native,French,andLatinorGreekwordsco-exist.NativeFrenchLatin/GreekbeginterrortrepidationriseflameinterrogateaskcommenceascendfirefirmconflagrationfearquestionsecurefastmountinitiateSynonymyMotivationsofsynonyms:DialectsandregionalEnglish

liftelevatortubesubwaypetrolgasolinecallboxtelephoneboothcharmglamour(ScotE)SynonymyMotivationsofsynonyms:Figurativeandeuphemisticuseofwords

occupationwalkoflifedreamerstar-gazerdrunkelevatedliedistortthefactSynonymyMotivationsofsynonyms:Coincidencewithidiomaticexpressions

pickupchoosegiveupabandongoonwithcontinueputoffpostponewingaintheupperhandhesitatebeintwomindsSynonymySemanticfield

isconcernedwiththevocabularyofalanguageasasystemofinterrelatedlexicalnetworks.Mostlanguagessharesamesemanticfields.SpaceTimeAgeKinshipFoodColorEmotion………ThesemanticfieldtheoryemotionjoylovehatefeargriefSynonymyThesemanticfieldofkinshipfather,mother,son,daughter,brother,sister,uncle,aunt,nephew,niece,cousin,husband,wife.Thesemanticfieldoffoodhotdog,sandwich,hamburgerSynonymySynonymyfieldsynonymicgroupleavedepart,quit,retire,withdraw,exitlookstare,gaze,eye,peep,glancepicturepainting,photo,drawingSynonymyFromgeneraltospecifice.g.Say/speak:murmur,scream,retort,argue,protest,claim,state,declareFrommonotonytovividnessWehavebutoneaimandonesingle,irrevocablepurpose.WeareresolvedtodestroyHitlerandeveryvestigeoftheNaziregime.Fromthisnothingwillturnus,nothing.Wewillneverparley,wewillnevernegotiatewithHitleroranyofhisgangs.WinstonChurchillSynonymyDiscriminationofsynonyms:Differenceinrangeandintensityofmeaningchilly,frigid,icy,cold,frosty,coolcool-----chilly-----cold-----frosty-----frigid-----icySynonymyDiscriminationofsynonyms:Differenceincollocatione.g.empty(box,street,room),vacant(seat,chair,apartment),blank(check,ablanksheetofpaper)SynonymyDiscriminationofsynonyms:Differenceincollocatione.g.accuse….of,charge…with,rebuke…for,reproach…with/fore.g.alumpofsugar,asheetofpaper,asliceofmeat/bread,acakeofsoap,achunkofwoodSynonymyDiscriminationofsynonyms:Differenceincollocatione.g.aflockofsheep/goats/birds,aherbofcows/elephants/zebras/antelopes,aschooloffish/whales/dolphins,aswarmofants/bees/wasps/locusts,astableofhorses,aprideoflionsSynonymyDiscriminationofsynonyms:Differenceindistributione.g.Pre-modifierVSpost-modifierHeisthegreatest

livingnovelistinEngland.HeisthegreatestnovelistaliveinEngland.Don’tdisturbthesleepingoldman.Don’tdisturbtheoldmanasleep.AntonymyAntonymshavetraditionallybeendefinedaswordsofoppositemeaning.Thisdefinitionisnotsufficientlyaccurate.Accordingtosomelinguists,antonymsmaybedefinedastwowordsofthesamelanguagebelongingtothesamepartofspeechidenticalinstyleandnearlyidenticalindistribution,associatedandusedtogethersothattheirdenotativemeaningsrendercontraryorcontradictorynotions.

Antonymy

Complementariesareformsofantonymswhichtrulyrepresentoppositenessofmeaning.e.g.dead—alive,present—absent,male—female,true—false,same—different,perfect—imperfect,single—married,boy—girl

AntonymyContrariesarebestenvisagedintermsofascalerunningbetweentwopolesorextremes.Wordssuchasrich--poor,old--young,big--smallrepresenttwopointsatbothendsofthepole.Theexistenceofoneisinrelationtotheother.Thisshowswhatiscalledsemanticrelativity.Examples:poor——rich,good——badcold——hot,old——youngAntonymsofthiskindarecharacteristicofsemanticpolarity.Theseantonymsformpartofascaleofvaluesbetweentwopolesandcanaccommodateamiddlegroundbelongingneithertoonepolenortotheother.AntonymyAntonymy

Conversesconsistofrelationaloppositessuchasparent—child,husband—wife,predecessor—successor,employer—employee.Thepairsofwordsindicatesuchareciprocalsocialrelationshipthatoneofthemcannotbeusedwithoutsuggestingtheother.Reversetermscompriseadjectivesandadverbssignifyingaqualityandverbsandnounssignifyinganactorstatethatreverseorundothequality,actionorstateoftheother.e.g.

foldandunfoldopenandcloseAntonymyAntonymyStylisticpurposeofantonyms:

Itwasthe

best

oftimes,itwasthe

worst

oftimes;it

wastheageof

wisdom,itwastheageof

foolishness;it

wastheepochof

belief,itwastheeraof

incredulity;it

wastheseasonof

Light,