自考英语词汇学 第七章课件.pptVIP

英语词汇学Chapter 7 Changes in Word meaning词义的演变 7.1 Types of Changes 词义变化的类型 Word-meaning changes by modes of extension, narrowing, degradation, elevation, and transfer. 词义的变化有词义的扩大，词义的缩小，词义的降格，词义的升格及词义的转移。 Of these, extension and narrowing are by far the most common. 在这几个变化类型中，词义的扩大和缩小是目前最常见的。 7.1.1 Extension词义的扩大 Extension of meaning, also known as generalization, is the name given to the widening of meaning which some words undergo. It is a process by which a word which originally had a specialized meaning has now become generalized. 词义的扩大也被称为普遍化，是指词的意义的扩展。这是一个词的词义从表达某一专门的意义转化到表示概括意义的过程。 A large proportion of polysemic words of modern English have their meanings extended sometime in the course of development. 现在英语中的大多数多义词都是在词义的发展中扩大词义的。 Extension of meaning is also found in many technical terms, which as the term suggests are confined to specialized use. 许多意义有专指的技术术语中也有词义扩大的 现象。 Words commonized from proper nouns have experienced the same semantic change. 由专有名词转化而来的普通名词也经历了同样的语义变化。 7.1.2 Narrowing 词义的缩小 Narrowing of meaning, also called specialization, is the opposite of widening meaning. It is a process by which a word of wide meaning acquires a narrower or specialized sense. 词义的缩小也称为词义的专业化，与词义的扩大相反。这是意义范围较大的词向意义较小的的方向演变的过程 。 When a common word is turned into a proper noun, the meaning is narrowed accordingly. 普通名词转化为专有名词时，词义也随之缩小。 For economy, some phrases are shortened and only one element of the original, usually an adjective, is left to retain the meaning of the whole.有时为了简洁，有些词组只留下一部分（往往是形容词）来表示整个词组的意思。列兵 The same is true of material nouns, which are used to refer to objects made of them and thus have a more specific sense. 物质名词情况也一样，它们被用来指由这种物质构成的物体，因此它们有更具体的含义。 7.1.3 Elevation词义的的升格 Elevation or amelioration refers to the process by which words rise from humble beginnings to positions of importance.词义的的升格是指原来表示低微意义的词转而成为表示重要意义的词的词义演变过程。 7.1.4 Degradation词义的降格 Degradation or pejoration of meaning is the opposite of semantic elevat