现代英语词汇学概论最强版复习资料chapter9

现代英语词汇学概论最强版复习资料chapter91Chapter9ChangesinWordMeaning9.1CausesofChangesinWordMeaning9.2FourTendenciesinSemanticChange9.3SemanticDevelopmentorChangeResultingfromtheFigurativeUseofWordsDefinition:Changeofmeaningreferstothealterationofthemeaningofexistingwords,aswellastheadditionofnewmeaningtoestablishedwords.9.1CausesofChangesinWordMeaningA.Historicalcause历史原因Itoftenhappensthatthoughawordretainsitsoriginalform,itsmeaninghaschangedbecausetheobjectwhichitdenoteshaschanged.*Changesofmeaningbecauseofincreasedknowledgeoftheobjectdescribedarecommoninthehistoryofscience.Eg.pencil==isfromaLatinwordmeaning“alittletail”or“afinebrush”,likeourChinese“pen”毛笔.Later,whenitwasmadeofwoodandgraphite,itwasstillcalleda“pencil”.atom==ItwasborrowedthoughLatinandFrenchfromGreekarouos,invisible.Thusatommeantoriginally“anparticletoosmalltobedivided”.Thismeaningisnowout-of-date,becausescientisthavefoundoutthatatomcanbesplit.B.Socialcause社会原因Changeinwordmeaningresultingfromaconstantverbaltrafficbetweencommonwordsandvarioustechnicalwordsisreferredtoassocialcauseofsemanticchange.Sometechnicalwordshavelosttheirspecializedmeaningandhavecometobeusedinmoregeneralsenses.Eg.feedback(Electr.)=means“response”incommonuse,asin“Theteacherlikestohavefeedbackfromhisstudents”;allergic(Med.)=means“beingunusuallysensitivetotheactionofparticularfoods,pollens,insect-bites,etc.”*Aspecificenvironmentmayaddafreshandhighlytechnicalsensetoawordofgeneraluse.Eg.energy=(Phys.)abilityofmatterorradiationtodoworkdecline=(Gram.)inflect,statethecase-formsofC.Foreigninfluences外来文化影响Aparticularlyimportantcause.eg.-pig,sheep,ox(cow)denotethenamesofboththeanimalsandtheirmeatintheOldEnglishperiod,butsincethemeatwascalledpork,muttonandbeefrespectivelyamongtheNormanconquerors,theoriginaltermsarenowusedonlyasthenamesoftheanimals.-dreammeant“joy”inOE,itgetsitsmodernsensefromtherelatedScandinavianworddraumr.现代英语词汇学概论最强版复习资料chapter92D.Linguisticcause语言上的原因*Twotendencies:towardsellipsis省略andtowardsanalogy类推.-Ellipsisasacauseofsemanticchangeoftenoccursinhabitualcollocations,suchasadj.+n.,orattributiven.+n.,inwhichthenounisoftendeletedandonlythefirstelement(theattributive)isleft,butretainingthesenseofthewholephrase.eg.ageneral–ageneralofficer一位将军aneditorial–aneditorialarticle一篇社论bugle–buglehorn号角gold–goldmedal,asintheOlympicGames金牌uniform–uniformdress制服transistor–transistorradio收音机daily–dailynewspaper日报duplicate–duplicatecopy副本-Analogicaltendency:Newmeaningsdevelopedinonepartofspeecharepassedontootherpartsofspeechfromthesamelexicalbase.eg.diplomatic(外交的，外交上的)whichhadearliermeantonly“skillfulinmanaginginternationalrelations,”hadby1826developedthesenseof“tactfulinthemanagementofrelationsofanykind;artfulmanagementitdealingwithothers.”By1848，thisnewmeaninghadbeenpassedontothenoundiplomacy.（外交；外交手腕；交际手段）E.Psychologicalcause心理学上的原因*Threeformsa)Euphemism委婉Peoplehaveatendencytousemild,agreeablelanguagewhenspeakingofanunpleasantorembarrassingfact(suchasdeath,disease,unfortunateeventsorcrime),andoftaboosubjectsassexandtheexcretiveprocessesofthebody.eg.hencedeathandthingsrelatedtodeath-topassaway-tobreatheone’slast-toceasetothink-tofallasleep-togowest-tokickthebucket-tobenomoreb)Grandiloquence夸张Grandiloquencereferstotheuseoflong,important-soundingwordsforeffort.Thedesiretoupgradeorraisethesocialstatusofaposition,occupation,orinstitutionbychangingitscommonnametoonefelttoconfergreaterdignityorimportanceisanotherpsychologicalfactorinthechangeofwordmeaning.eg.janitor看门人；守卫；门警–custodian管理人；监护人；保管人gardener园丁；花匠；园艺家–landscapearchitect造园技师；环境美化设计家reformschool教养院；少年犯管教所–communityhome少年感化院；c)Cynicism嘲讽Cynicism:thedesiretosneerandtobesarcastic.eg.pious虔诚的；敬神的；可嘉的；尽责的--hypocriticallyvirtuous伪善地善良fanatic狂热的；盲信的—unreasonablyenthusiastic,almostapproachingtomadness现代英语词汇学概论最强版复习资料chapter93grandiloquent夸张的；夸大的；大言不惭的—pompousinlanguage;giventobeautifultalksanctimonious假装虔诚的；假装圣洁的；假装诚实的–devout,holyorsacred9.2FourTendenciesinSemanticChangeA.Restrictionofmeaning(specialization)词义的缩小/具体化Restrictionofmeaningmeansthatawordofwidemeaningacquiresanarrow,specializedsensewhichisapplicabletoonlyoneoftheobjectsithadpreviouslydenoted.eg.ConditionWordsOriginalmeaningMeaningafterrestrictionmeatfood,esp.solidfood,asdistinguishedfromdrinkthefleshofanimalsusedasfood,excludingfishandbirdswifewomanmarriedwomanesp.inrelationtoherhusbandsuccessresult,outcomeafavourableorsatisfactoryoutcomeorresultwhenitpassesintoaspecialfieldcleanroom/whiteroomaroomforthemanufactureorassemblyofobjects(asprecisionparts)thatismaintainedatahighlevelofcleanlinessbyspecialmeansdependentonone’sprofessionorchiefinterestsinlifepipeTomusician–asimpletubelikemusicalinstrument,playedbyblowingTotobaccosmokerandanarchitect–itsuggestsotherandquitedifferentmeaningsundertheinfluenceoflocalconditionsNickelintheU.S.means“acoin,value5cents”newwordsmoveintothelanguagewashablesth.isabletobewashedsth.esp.clothing,thatcanbewashedinwaterwithoutbeingsolidedbreakablesth.iseasilybrokenimpliesthatonehastotakegoodcareofitandhandleitcarefullyB.Extensionofmeaning(generalizatio