现代英语词汇学概论8-Meaning-and-Context

Chgapter8MeaningandContext第八部分TypesofcontextRoleofcontextextra-linguisticcontestlinguisticcontexteliminationofambiguityindicationofreferentsinferenceofword-meaningBACKMeaningandContextContextisveryimportant.Asmostwordsarepolysemic,withoutcontextthereisnowaytodeterminethemeaningofaword.Meaningisdefinedincontext.8.1TypesofContext8.1.1Extra-linguisticContextExtra-linguisticcontextiscontextbeyondlanguage,butphysicalsituation,inwhichlanguageisused:thepeople,time,place,andeventhewholeculturalbackground,e.g.8.1.1Extra-linguisticContextweekend(lengthoftime)1)oneday(1980s)2)onedayandhalf(1995)3)twodays(1996)4)twodaysandhalf(someplaces)8.1.1Extra-linguisticContextweekend(daysforrest)SundayandMonday(华师分校)MondayandTuesday(somefactories)onedayofaweek(privateenterprise)8.1.1Extra-linguisticContext广场（square）1)alargeflatareawithoutbuildings2)alargebuilding(亚贸广场；武广)城（city）1)alargetownwithmorethan300,000residents2)家俱城；书城8.1.1Extra-linguisticContextlandlord（地主;房东）exploiterofpeasants(negative)onewhohashousetolet(positive)8.1.1Extra-linguisticContextworker(before1949)(1950s-1960s)(1980s)(1990s)(2000)8.1.2LinguisticContextLinguisticcontextisthelinguisticenviornment,inwhichalinguisticunitisused.Alinguisticunitcanbeaphrase,aclause,asentence,aparagraph,apassage,achapterinabookorevenabook.8.1.2LinguisticContextdoasum(workouttheanswertoamathematicalquestion)doone’steeth(brush)dotheflowers(arrange)dofish(cook)doscienceatschool(study)doamuseum/acity/acountry(visit)8.1.2LinguisticContextAcarcando80milesanhour.Johnisdoingwellinschool.I’lldoyouifyoudon’tstop.Lexicalcontextreferstothewordsusedbeforeorafteraparticularlinguisticunit.8.1.2LinguisticContextfigure1)ahalf-lengthfigure（像）2)ahistoricalfigure（人物）3)doublefigure（数字）4)figureofspeech（词格）8.1.2LinguisticContextmakeGodmadethecountry,manmadethetown.(created,built)Shewillmakeagoodteacher.(become)Heisgoingtomakeusareport.(give)8.1.2LinguisticContextThemeaningofmakeisaffectedbythegrammaticalstructures.Thisiscalledgrammaticalcontext.Grammaticalcontextisthegrammaticalstructuresinwhichaparticularlinguisticitemisused.8.2TheRoleofContext8.2.1EliminationofAmbiguityAmbiguityoftenarisesduetopolysemyandhomonymy.Whenawordwithmultiplemeaningsisusedininadequatecontext,itcreatesambiguity,e.g.8.2.1EliminationofAmbiguityHeisahardbusinessman.hard:1)hard-working2)difficultHeisahardbusinessmantodealwith.8.2.1EliminationofAmbiguityTheysawherduck.1)dodge2)typeoffoulRevised:Theysawherduckswimminginthepond.Theysawherduckquickly.Thatsavedherlife.8.2.1EliminationofAmbiguity[47]Theballwasgood.1)dancingparty2)roundobjectRevised:Theballwasgood.Ineverdancedlikethisbefore.Theballwasgood.Iuseditforalongtime.8.2.1EliminationofAmbiguityGrammaticalstructurecanalsoleadtoambiguity,e.g.Thefishisreadytoeat.IlikeMarybetterthanJean.(1)IlikeMarybetterthanJeanlikesM.(2)IlikeMarybetterthanIlikeJean.8.2.1EliminationofAmbiguityTheshootingofthehunterwashorrible.(1)Thehuntershotsomethinginahorribleway.(2)Thehunterwasshotinahorribleway.8.2.2IndicationofreferentsThisisthebookImentionedtoyoutheotherday.Nowthereisnothingwecando.Withoutcontextthereisnowaytotellwhat“this”referstoortheexacttime“now”standsfor.8.2.1EliminationofAmbiguityRevised:HetookVanityFairfromawoodenshelfandsaid“ThisisthebookImentionedtoyoutheotherday.”8.2.1EliminationofAmbiguityRevised:Watercontinuedtoriseandthewholefamilyweredriventotheattic(顶楼、阁楼）ofthehouse.Therewasnootherplacetogo.“Nowthereisnothingwecando,”saidthefatherhelplessly.8.2.3ProvisionofCluesforInferringWord-meaningContextmayproveextremelyvaluableinguessingthemeaningsofnewwords.Inmanycases,whenanewword(thoughttobe)appearsforthefirsttime,theauthorgenerallymanagestogivehints.8.2.3ProvisionofCluesforInferringWord-meaningThehints(contextclues)mighthelpthereaderstograsptheconceptorunderstandtheidea.Contextcluesvaryagreatdeal.Therearesixorsevenmajorcontextclues.8.2.3ProvisionofCluesforInferringWord-meaningPerhapsthemoststartlingtheorytocomeoutofkinesics,thestudyofbodymovement,wassuggestedbyProfessorBird-whistell.身势学(definition)8.2.3ProvisionofCluesforInferringWord-meaningManyUnitedNationsemployeesarepolyglots.Mary,forexample,speaksfivelanguages.(example)8.2.3ProvisionofCluesforInferringWord-meaningIt’sjustonemoreincredibleresultofthedevelopmentofmicroprocessors微处理器—thosetinypartsofacomputercommonlyknownas‘siliconchips’.(explanation)8.2.3ProvisionofCluesforInferringWord-meaningAsthefightingonallfrontsreacheditspeak,theeconomyneareditsnadir.(antonym)8.2.3ProvisionofCluesforInferringWord-meaningTheirgreatestfearwasofaconflagration大火灾,sincefirewoulddestroytheirflimsywoodensettlementbeforehelpcouldarrive.(synonym)8.2.3ProvisionofCluesforInferringWord-meaningCopernicusbelievedinaheliocentric日心说universe,ratherthaninthegeocentric地球中心说theory.(wordstructure)8.2.3ProvisionofCluesforInferringWord-meaningThevillagehadmostoftheusualamenities便利设施,文化设施,福利设施:apub,alibrary,apostoffice,avillagehall,amedicalcentre,andaschool.(superordina