ChangesinWordMeaning资料.pptVIP

Changes in Word Meaning 一.Causes of Changes in Word Meaning “… 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 Ⅰ.Extra linguistic causes Historical cause Social cause Psychological cause Ⅱ.A. Linguistic cause ellipsis Linguistic cause analogy B. Foreign influences Historical cause A word is retained for a name though the meaning has changed because the referent has changed. E.g. paper papyrus (纸莎草) wood increased knowledge E.g. atom computer Social cause A. Social environment abdication (退位) Abdication: 特指英王爱德华八士1936年为了与美国离婚女子结婚而放弃王位 Accession Day (登基日) Accession Day：特指英国1952年2月6号伊丽莎白二世登基之日每年庆祝这个日子的方式就是在政府各部办公大楼升起英国国旗 B. Class cause villain clown（小丑）的原义是“农民”，在济慈（John?Keats） 的《夜莺颂》（Ode?to?the?Nightingale）里还保留了这样的意思： ????The?voice?I?hear?this?passing?night?was?heard????In?ancient?days?by?emperor?and?clown;????Perhaps?the?selfsame?song?that?found?a?path????Through?the?sad?heart?of?Ruth,?when?sick?for?home,????he?stood?in?tears?amid?the?alien?corn. c.racial emotion black English black history black black capitalism(黑人企业家) black power Negro :neutral word derogatory term African American D . Some words catalyst 催化剂(Chem.) “sb.or sth. that helps to bring about change”(OALD) Allergic(Med.) means “being unusually sensitive to the action of particular foods, pollens（花粉)insect-bites,etc.. “having a dislike; unable to get on well with”(OALD), as in “I am allergic to h