• Lecture 5 - abridged

• Stylistic semasiology

Lexical semasiology

Stylistic semasiology

ways of creating additional meanings:

1. unusual denotative reference of words, w/c, utterances (different ways of secondary nomination) = tropes

2. unusual distribution of meanings of these units = figures of speech

• 1. Secondary nomination = transfer of names from one object to another

• trope - a coincidence of two semantic planes (two different meanings) in one unit of form (word / phrase / sentence)

“She blew her lid.”

1. An angry person

2. Heated fluid in a container

leg of a table

neck of a bottle

foot of a hill

hand of a clock = “etymological tropes” / dead tropes - devoid of stylistic meaning Lexicology

trope creates the image

Then Night, like some great loving mother, gently lays her hand on our fevered head, and turns our tear-stained faces up to her and smiles (J.K.Jerome)

tropes - renaming

Yu. Skrebnev - paradigmatic semasiology = figures of replacement

A. Morokhovsky - semasilological EM = figures of substitution

The transfer of a name on the basis of:

1. contiguity / a real connection / logical relations /associations between different objects:

the blue coat = the policeman

I was followed by a pair of heavy boots.

2. similarity / affinity / likeness (real or imaginary) of two objects: the rat = the spy

The reception was cold.

3. difference of two meanings or transfer by contrast when the two objects are opposed: You are so punctual!

A fine friend you are!

A common quantitative feature = figures of quantity (Yu. Screbnev and A. Morokhovsky )

I’d give worlds for it!

I can do the job in a second!

1. EM / tropes = different ways of secondary nomination

2. SD / figures of speech = unusual distribution of meanings of units

Yu. Screbnev - “figures of co-occurrence”,

A.Morokhovsky - “figures of combination”

Types of semantic relationships:

1. identical

My heart is like a singing bird. (Rosetti)

2. opposite

His fees were high, his lessons were light. (O’Henry)

3. different

She dropped a tear and her handkerchief. (Dickens)

Hyperbole = overstatement / exaggeration / intensification of any feature of the object / an expression of emotional evaluation

The coffee shop smell was strong enough to build a garage on. (R. Chandler)

- is not intended to be understood literally

Types of hyperbole

1. trite

I could see my mother going in Spaulding’s and asking the salesman a million dopey questions. (J. Salinger)

He was scared to death

I’ve told you fifty times

I beg a thousand pardons

Я вас чекав цілу вічність!

2. genuine

His grey face was so long that he could wind it twice round his neck (R. Chandler)

“Marlowe? We’d like to see you here, in the office.” “Right away”” “Or sooner.” (R. Chandler) А сома… Сома мені самому доводилось бачити такого завбільшки, як комбайн! Тільки трохи довшого.

is used:

-to express the intensity of strong feelings

Meiosis = understatement / underestimating / diminishing of the features of the object in order to emphasise its insignificance

He was a skinny little guy with wrists as big as pencils. (J. Salinger)

meiotic devices = “downtoners”

I was half-afraid you had forgotten me.

I kind of liked it. I am not quite too late.

Зачекайте хвилинку.

Litotes - an affirmative statement in the form of negation

Love overcomes no small things = great

He was no coward =

He is not uncultured =

interplay of negative and affirmative meanings

Cramer and I regarded him not without pity. (R. Stout)

Ви обурені і не без причин.

is used:

-to weaken positive characteristics of an object

-to express doubt/uncertainty as to the value or significance of the object described