英语词汇学Changesinmeaning.ppt

English LexicologyUnit 9 Changes in Meaning Contents Causes of changes Types of changes Transference of meaning Process of meaning change Tendency of meaning change Causes of Change Linguistic factors Ellipsis Borrowing Analogy Figurative use of words Metaphor Metonymy Extra-linguistic factors Historical reason Social reason Psychological reason Ellipsis The meaning of a word may change when a phrase is shortened to one word which retains the meaning of the whole. This is called ellipsis. gold: gold medal daily: daily newspaper Borrowing The influx(流入) of borrowings has caused some words to change in meaning. deer (original) a wild animal of any sort from a lion to a mouse. In Middle Ages, the French word beste (=beast) became the general word. In 16th century, the Latin word animal was also adopted into the English vocabulary. Today deer can only refer to a particular kind of animal. Analogy If an adjective develops a new meaning, the derived noun from the adjective will have a corresponding new meaning by analogy. The process can be applied to a word of any word class. Figurative use of words-Metaphor Metaphor is a figure of speech containing an implied comparison based on similarity. A cunning person may be referred to as a fox. Here “fox” means something other than its literal meaning. The word “fox” gets the figurative meaning of “a cunning person”. Example: foot foot 1. Lowest part of the leg, below the ankle, on which a person or animal stands. 2. The lowest part; the bottom. the foot of a mountain the foot of a page Metonymy Metonymy is a figure of speech by which an object or an idea is described by the name of something else closely related to it. Seat Please take a seat. (a piece of furniture) He lost his seat in House of Commons. More Example: cradle 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 th