英语词汇学第9讲.pptVIP

Figuration: Metaphor This is also a horse, but a metaphorical horse. Figuration: Metaphor foot 1. The lower extremity of the vertebrate leg that is in direct contact with the ground in standing or walking. 2. The lowest part; the bottom the foot of a mountain the foot of a page Figuration: Metonymy Metonymy is another important factor in semantic change. It is a figure of speech by which an object or an idea is described by the name of something else closely related to it. Figuration: Metonymy seat Its sense is extended to the right to sit as a member of a committee, such as the House of Commons. e.g. He lost his seat in House of Commons. Figuration: Metonymy Cradle 1. A small low bed for an infant, often furnished with rockers 2. The earliest period of life; infancy from the cradle to the grave 3. A place of origin; a birthplace the cradle of civilization. External Linguistic Factors: Historical A word is retained its original form, though its meaning has changed because the referent has changed. pen car  External Linguistic Factors: Social Language records the speech and attitude of different social classes, so different social varieties of language have come into being. The attitude of classes have penetrated into lexical meaning, particularly in the case of elevation and degradation. External Linguistic Factors: Social Quite a number of words that denote different sorts of working people or their occupations have taken on a pejorative sense. churl, hussy, villain which were originally neutral have been down-graded as “ill-manned or bad people”. External Linguistic Factors: Psychological The associated transfer of meaning and euphemistic use of words, etc. are often due to psychological factors. People change word meaning owing to various psychological motives: love, respect, courtesy, suspicion, pessimism, sarcasm, irony, contempt, hatred, avoidance of embarrassment, etc. External Linguistic Factors: Psychological Some words or expressio