词义的变化

2011.11.10

Change of meaning

Language is in a course of changing, never stopping. Meaning also goes the same process with language.

Word meaning changes in a course of the historical development language. Because language is changing, so the meaning of words also changes.

Cause of changes 1. Linguistic factors a.ellipsis

The meaning of a word may change when a phrase is shortened to one word which retains the meaning of the whole. This is called ellipsis. b. Borrowing

The influx(流入) of borrowings has caused some words to change in meaning. c. Analogy 类推

If an adjective develops a new meaning, the derived noun from the adjective will have a corresponding new meaning by analogy. The process can be applied to a word of any word class.

d. Figurative use of words-Metaphor

Metaphor is a figure of speech containing an implied comparison based on similarity.

e. Figurative use of words- Metonymy

Metonymy is a figure of speech by which an object or an idea is described by the name of something else closely related to it.

2. Extra-linguistic factors a. Historical reason

A word has retained its original form, though its meaning has changed because the referent has changed. b. Social reason

Language records the speech and attitude of different social classes, so different social

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varieties of language have come into being. c. Psychological reason

People change word meaning owing to various psychological motives.

Types of changes

1. Extension (generalization)

Generalization of Meaning: It is a process by which a word which originally had a specialized meaning has now become generalized or has extended to cover a broader concept.

2. Narrowing of Meaning: Specialization

It is a process by which a word of wide meaning acquires a narrow or specialized sense. It is also a very important feature in the development of language.

3. Elevation of Meaning (amelioration)

Elevation is the process by which words rise from humble beginnings to positions of importance. Elevation of meaning is one of the tendencies of meaning change, which changes the meaning of a linguistics form from \"low\" to \"high\".

4. Degradation of Meaning (degeneration, pejoration)

It is a process by which words with appreciatory or neutral affective meaning fall into ill reputation or come to be used in a derogatory sense.

Other types of changes: 5. Euphemism

A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience.

6. Transference of Meaning (semantic shift)

Transference of meaning: a meaning change process in which a word that designates

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one thing changes to mean something else. a. Metaphor

b. Synecdoche and Metonymy

Synecdoche covers those cases where we use a part for a whole or the whole to talk about the part.

Metonymy is the category where something closely connected (but not a part) is used to refer to something else. c. Transferred epithet 移就/移位修饰

a rhetorical device in which a modifier, usually an adjective, is applied to the \"wrong\" word in the sentence. d. Synaesthesia/Synesthesia 通感

the description of one kind of sense impression by using words that normally describe another.

Process of meaning change 1. radiation 放射型

the process in which the primary or central meaning stands at the center while secondary meanings radiate from it in every direction like rays.

2. concatenation 连锁型

The process where the later meaning is related to the proceeding one only, just like a chain. Though the latest sense can be traced back to the original, there is no direct connection between the two.

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