现代英语词汇学概论最强版复习资料chapter8

Chapter 8 Meaning And Context

⏹8.1 Two types of contexts

⏹8.2 The vital role of context in determination of word meaning

⏹8.3 Suggested ways for the correct comprehension of word meaning

8.1 Two types of Contexts

➢Linguistic context 语言类语境

There are 3 types of linguistic context: lexical, grammatical, and verbal context.

1.Lexical context词汇语境

♦Lexical context: refers to the lexical items combined with a given polysemous word.

*Linguistic context is the linguistic environment, in which a linguistic unit is used.

*A linguistic unit can be a phrase, a clause, a sentence, a paragraph, a passage, a chapter in a book or even a book.

Eg:

♦make

She make coffee for all of us. (make is often used in the sense of constructing sth. by putting materials together)

The regulations were made(enacted) to protect children.

We made (had) a good breakfast before leaving. My father made (earned)10000 yuan a year.

The train was making (travelling at a speed ) 70 miles an hour.

We made (arrived at) the station in time to catch the train.

♦do

do a sum (work out the answer to a mathematical question)

do one’s teeth (brush)

do the flowers (arrange)

do fish (cook)

do science at school (study)

do a museum /city /country (visit)

2.Grammatical context 语法语境

In grammatical context, the syntactic structure of a certain word is the meaning of the lexical items with which the word is combined.

Eg:

♦get

get +n. =to receive

I got a letter today.

get+ adj. =to become

He’s getting better.

get+n.+adj. =to bring to a certain condition;

cause to be or become

She soon got the children ready for school.

get+ infinitive=to succeed in doing

If I get to see him, I’ll ask him about it.

get +V-ing =to reach the start of an activity

‘‘Get going! Start! ’’

get +n. + infinitive =to cause to do

I’ll get him to repair my watch.

3.Verbal context 文本语境

Verbal context :In addition to lexical, and grammatical context, the verbal context, in its broadest sense, may cover an entire passage, or even an entire book, and in some cases even the entire social or cultural setting ,as start in the beginning of the chapter.

➢Extra-linguistic context /Context of situation 语言外或情景语境

1.The actual speech situation in which a word (or an utterance, or a speech event)

occurs.

*In daily life, word meaning is more often dependent on the actual situation in which a word is used rather than on verbal context.

2.The entire cultural background against which a word, or an utterance or a speech

event has to be set.

Eg. Pansant, farmer ,farm worker农民

Liberalism 自由主义

8.2 The Vital Role of Context in Determination of Word Meaning

➢Eliminating ambiguities 消除词汇歧义和结构歧义

Ambiguity refers to a word ,phrase ,sentence or a group of sentences with more than one possible interpretation or meaning.

*Several types:

1)Polysemy

Eg. The damage was done by the river.

(by=beside/through the agency, means, or instrumentality of)

=The damage was done beside the river.

=The damage brought about the damage.

2)Structural ambiguity arising from the grammatical analysis of

a sentence or a phrase.

Eg. Young men and women

-young/men and women/( both are young)

-/young men /and women( only men are young)

I like Bill more than Mary.

-I like Bill more than Mary does.

-I like Bill more than I like Mary.

➢Conveying emotional overtones 传达感情色彩

The emotive side of word meaning depends largely on the context, with the exception of those words that have affective meaning as part of word meaning.

Eg. nice

You’ve got us into a nice mess.(bad)

-is ironic and acquires an unfavourable sense.

*Only the context can show whether a word should be taken as a purely objective