英语词汇学--词义的变化

Causes


of changes in word meaning
1. the world is changing
社会是语言的外部因素（索绪尔，1980：43），但是社会 又不是一般的外部因素，而是客体世界中最重要的外部因 素， 因为语言是特殊的社会现象，语言跟社会诸因素有千 丝万缕的关系。
3.The language is changing 3.1 semantic reason harvest\autumn motor 左右 3.2 grammatical reason 廉颇老矣，尚能饭否？ 3.3 pragmatic reason 斗闻

红白赤
词义的变化
专有名词普通化与特定的历史事件有关： “Watergate”源指美国华盛顿特区综合大 厦。1972年 6月 17日夜间，共和党争取 总统连任委员会有关人员潜入大厦内 民主党全国委员会总部而被捕，暴露 了共和党政府在总统竞选中的非法活 动，导致美国历史上首次总统辞职， 现泛指“丑闻”。
专有名词普通话与特定的科技事件有关：
Pinchbeck 冒牌货
Christopher Pinchbeck was an British jeweler. He invented an alloy of copper, zinc formerly used for cheap jewelery, hence the meaning: specious似是而非的 and spurious伪造的 goods.
Argus-eyed : keen-sighted; Observant明察秋毫的
Narcissus:
Greek myth: a beautiful youth who fell in love with his reflection in a pool, hence the word : narcissism and the meaning:an interest in or admiration for oneself.
第五章 词义的变化 Change of Meaning
外语学院 徐红新

When a word loses its old meaning and comes to refer to something altogether different, the result is a change of word meaning.
a.Extension of meaning b.Restriction of meaning
c.Degeneration of meaning d.Elevation of meaning
e.Transformation of meaning
2
Extension of Meaning
It is also called widening of meaning or generalization. It’s a process by which a word which originally had a specialized meaning has now become generalized.
Words of this group also include ampere （安培） , farad （法拉） , ohm （欧 姆） , volt （伏特） , watt （瓦特） from French physicist Ampere, British physicist Faraday, German physicist Ohm, Italian physicist Volta and Scottish inventor Watt respectively
Argus百眼巨人
Greek myth: a giant with 100 eyes. After he was killed, his eyes were transferred to the Peacock’s tail
Example: We have decided it is impossible to cheat when that Argus-eyed professor gives an exam
More Examples rubbish
Originally: rubble (碎石）
Now: anything worthless
Hale Waihona Puke Baidu
B. From proper nouns to common nouns
Antonomasia 换称
the use of a proper noun to convey a general idea
2. Human being is changing
2.1 认识水平在提高 heart,brain 2.2 思想观念的更新 天堂、老板、演员、士兵 2.3心理感情因素 求新： 净面、洗脸、飚客、粉丝, 闪族 求美：春风、教室 求省：机票、机场、机群、客机、班机 gold metal 求雅：euphemism 下岗、老、战略性撤退、穷 circumlocution lie\steal\lazy 感情因素（移情）：冤家
Louis Pasteur is a French chemist and biologist. His researches showing that the fermentation发酵 of milk and wine was due to the multiplication of bacteria and other microorganisms led to the discovery of the role of microorganism in human and animal disease. From these findings he developed immunization by inoculation 免 疫 接 种 of attenuated microbes微生物, and the process of pasteurization巴氏消毒法.
Four kinds of extension
A. From specific to general
B. From proper nouns to common nouns C.From concrete to abstract D.From technical terms to general words
Pasteurization is a process which renders milk free of diseaseproducing bacteria and help to prevent it from spoiling without destroying the vitamins or changing the taste. It involves heating the milk to 1450168F for 30 minutes. To pasteurize is to sterilize by pasteurization.
Narcissus 水仙花
Munchausen
说大话的人
He was a German s o l d i e r. A f t e r h i s retirement from his service in the Russian Army against the Turks, he told exaggerated stories of his c a m p a i g n i n g adventures,thus the meaning:a person who boasts;exaggerated .
Tantalize 挑逗
Tantalus
Greek Myth: a king punished for his misdeeds by having to stand in water that recedes when he tries to drink it and under fruit that moves away as he reaches for it.

“… Change of meaning is a commonplace, and indeed it would appear to be fundamental in living language, …… almost every word we use today has a slightly different meaning from the one it had a century ago: and a century ago it had a slightly different meaning from the one it had a century before that.” _________ Quirk 1963:123-124
A. From specific to general 从特指到泛指
Example
Picture: originally: a painting or drawing
The present meaning
a photograph a cinematic picture an x-ray picture a TV picture a radio-telescope picture any picture
Frankenstein
Frankenstein is a character in the novel written by famous British woman writer Mary W. Shelley. He is a medical researcher, who created a robot monster, brought it to life and finally was killed by the monster.
James Watt（瓦特）is a Scottish engineer who made fundamental improvements to the Newcomen steam engine, leading to the widespread use of steam power in mines, factories etc. In partnership with Mathew Boulton, Watt built may engines at their foundry铸造 车间 in Birmingham. The unit of power is named after him.


1.1 旧词添新义 car\ship 1.2 科技发展 光环 1.3 普通义位与科技义位间的转变 menu, window 1.4 社会集团社会地位的变化 governor, lord 1.5 经济的发展 狗、马 1.6 民族或种族矛盾的原因 Dutch


Sandwich: It now denotes a popular fast food. It originates from John Montague, Fourth earl of Sandwich in 18th -century England. He was so fond of gambling that he often forgot his meals. He often ordered slices of bread with thick pieces of roast beef stuffed between them be brought to him so he could eat while playing. Later, people used his name to refer to all similar food.