Lecture 5. Semantic Change

1. Types of Semantic Change.

2. Semantic Paradigm of the Word.

3. Metaphor.

4. Metonymy.

5. Linguistic Causes of Semantic Change.

6. Extra-linguistic Causes of Semantic Change.

All the types of semantic change depend on some comparison. It may be based on the difference between the concepts expressed or referents in the real world that are pointed out, on the type of psychological association at work or on some other features.

The reduction of scope accounts for the term narrowing of the meaning or specialization. The process reverse to specialization termed generalization and widening of meaning.

The most frequent transfers of the name of one object to another are based on associations of similarity, or of contiguity. Metaphor is a transfer of name based on the association of similarity and thus is actually a hidden comparison. It may be based on very different types of similarity.

Metonymy is a transfer of name based on the association of contiguity. It is a shift of names between things that are known to be in some way or other connected in reality.

The other types of semantic change, besides metaphor and metonymy are: hyperbole,litotes, irony, euphemism. Changes depending on the social attitude to the object named, connected with social evaluation and emotional tone called a melioration and a pejoration of meaning.

The causes of semantic changes may be grouped under two main headings, linguistic and extra-linguistic ones. Linguistic causes influencing the process of vocabulary adaptation.

The extra-linguistic causes are determined by the social nature of the language. It is powerfully affected by social, political, economic, cultural and technical change.

Recommended Literature:

1.Арнольд И.В. Лексикология современного английского языка. .= The English

Word [Текст]: Учеб. для ин-тов и фак. иностр. яз. 3-е изд., перераб. и доп. /

И.В. Арнольд. – М.: Высшая школа,1986. – c. 60 – 76.

2. Гинзбург, Р.З. Лексикология английского языка [Текст]: Учебн для ин-тов и фак.

иностр. яз. / Р.З. Гинзбург, С.С. Хидекель, Г.Ю. Князева и др.– М : Высшая школа,

1979. – p. 29 – 38.

3. Антрушина Г.Б. Лексикология английского языка = English Lexicology [Текст]: Учеб. ля студ. пед. ин-тов по спец. №.2103 «Иностр. яз.»/Г.Б. Антрушина, О.В. Афанасьева, Н.Н. Морозова – 3-е изд. стереотип.– М.: Дрофа, 2001. – C.113 –124.

4.Арбекова Т.И. Лексикология английского языка (практический курс) [Текст]. Учебное пособие для студентов 2-3 курсов институтов и факультетов иностранных языков./ Т.И. Арбекова. – М.: Высшая школа, 1977. – c. 52 – 88.

Lecture 6.The English Vocabulary as an Adaptable System

1. Morphological and Lexico-grammatical Grouping.

2. Terminological Systems.

3. Thematic and Ideographic Groups. The Theory of the Semantic Fields.

4. Synonyms. Synonymic dominant. Antonyms.

5. The Opposition of Emotionally Coloured and Emotionally Neutral Vocabulary.

6. Different Types of Non-Semantic Grouping.

The vocabulary of the English language is an adaptable system constantly adjusting itself to the changing requirements and conditions of human society and cultural surroundings.

On the morphological level words are divided into four groups: root words, derivatives, compound word, compound derivatives. Words are grouped according to the common root morpheme or according to a common suffix or prefix.

Lexico-grammatical group is a class having a common lexico-grammatical meaning, a common paradigm, the same substituting elements and a set of suffixes rendering the lexico-grammatical meaning. They constitute one part of speech.

Terminology constitutes the greatest part of every language vocabulary. It is also its most intensely developing part.

Idiographic groups unite words of different parts of speech but thematically related. The relationship existing between elements of various levels is logical. The members of the semantic field are joined together by some semantic component, i.e. the component common to all the members of the semantic field.

Synonyms differ in stylistic and emotional colouring, valency, collocation and frequency. Members of the same antonymic pair reveal nearly identical spheres of collocation. Synonyms and antonyms may be classified structurally and semantically.

There are emotionally coloured and emotionally neutral words in the vocabulary of the English language. The best studied emotionally coloured words are interjections.

Different types of non-semantic grouping of words are represented in the alphabetical organization of written words. A very important type of non-semantic grouping for isolated lexical units is based on their frequency.