英专语言学论文

The Cause and Tendency of Semantic

Change in English

By

吴冰姿1015010305

A student of English Department of College of International

Languages and Cultures

Hohai University

November,2012

CONTENTS

1. Introduction

2. Literature review

2.1 Current situation

2.2 Research areas

3. Methodology

·The type and trend of semantic change ·The cause of the change of word meaning ·The effect of semantic change

4. Analysis of semantic change in English

4.1 The type and trend of semantic change

4.2 The cause of the change of word meaning

4.3 The effect of semantic change

5. Conclusion

6. References

Abstract: All kinds of languages are constantly changing. It is mainly concerned about pronunciation, word meaning, semantic and sentence structure. And the change of word meaning is the most obvious and rapid. This paper analyses the cause of the change through linguistic aspect, the trend of semantic changes and the effect of the change.

Key words: word meaning, change, cause, effect

1.Introduction

Nowadays, we can easily find that word meaning changes in english are keeping striking our eyes. Some words have come into appearance in all aspects of our life while some words have disappeared as they lost the favor of people. Facing so many English new words, how can the English learners learn them efficiently? The answer is that we should know how the word meaning changes and analyses the principles. It is very helpful for english learners to learn english words when they know why words change. There are many reasons for the lexical meaning change. The paper will discuss the linguistic factors mainly.

2.Literature review

2.1 Current situation

Since 1987, scholars have started to notice the change of word meaning. During 1987 to 2009, many researches have been written. The overseas scholars like Roy Peter Clark Published Change in the Meaning of Words Demands Care in the Use of Language on Poynter in 2009. He believed that there is some predictability in the way words change over time.

And Grzega, Joachim published "Historical Semantics in the Light of Cognitive Linguistics: Aspects of a new reference book reviewed" in 2000. And Traugott, Elizabeth Closs published "From less to more situated in language: the unidirectionality of Semantic change", in Adamson, Silvia, 1990.

Domestic scholars like CHEN Lei-jing (Shaoguan Radio & TV University, Shaoguan 512005,Gunangdong, China) wrote an essay Exploration of the Change of English Word Meaning from Socio-Linguistic Perspective. This essay analyses the basic factors such as the social environment, the social psychology and the social culture etc. through socio-linguistic perspective.