18 Componential analysis

Is linguistic analysis of the semantic structure of a word? It can be a monosemantic word or lexico-semantic variant of polysemantic word.The meaning of any word can be represented in a form of a structure, semantic components of the words’ meaning form a hierarchy.Is an investigation of the structural organization & interrelations of the semantic components of the words’ meaning?Lexical meaning is a complicated dynamic whole & its constituency is semes.A seme is a minimal unit of sense, an atom of lexical semantics distinguished on the basis of oppositions by method of componential analysis.A seme is not expressed in a word in any material unit but it’s revealed & singled out through interrelations of the word with other words on a paradigmatic & syntagmatic levels.The sem. structure of a word can be represented graphically:Father =human – seme, Adult – seme, Male – seme, Parent – seme human, adult, male, parent - they are semes!1) Componential analysis is very popular in linguistics; it shows heterogeneity, complexity of lexical meaning. 2) Componential analysis helps to differentiate between words (especially between synonyms) the difference between small & little lies in the presence of an additional seme (pleasant, nice) in the word “little” → not absolute synonyms.3) Componential analysis helps to explain semantic derivation (metaphor, metonymy, etc.)4) Componential analysis to create the so called language of semantic primitives – minimal units of sense.

19Semantic change – changes of both synchronic and diachronic nature, which concerns the semantic content of the word. New meanings would appear by means of semantic shift (q.v.) and semantic transference (q.v.), which lead to the growth of polysemy. Causes for s.ch. can be both extralinguistic and linguistic.

Extralinguistical

1) Historical causes.According to historical principle, everything develops changes, social institutions change in the course of time, the words also change. Ex.: “car” which goes back to Latin “carfus” which meant a four wheeled (vehicle) wagon, despite of the lack of resemblance. 2) Psychological causes.Taboos of various kinds.Words are replaced by other words, sometimes people do not realize that they use euphemisms. Ex.: “lady’s room” instead of the “lavatory”3)social – word acquires a new meaning firstly due to the particular social group or secondly a word used in a specific sence of some groups comes into common usage with an extended meaning (pipe – ring)

Linguistical

Ellipsis – when a phrase made up of two words, one of these is omitted, its meaning is transferred to its partner. (presale view – presale)Differentiation of synonyms –gradual changes of the meanings of the synonyms which as a result of competition develop different semantic structures (land – 1solid part of earth’s surface, 2territory of a nation) – country as a synonym(acq.2mean)Fixed context –consequence of synonymic differentiation, when synonyms are taken into competition, one of them start to be used in different sets of expression (meat = food; mincemeat, nutmeat, sweetmeat)Linguistic analogy – when one of the members of a synonymic set acquires a new meaning and the other meanings acq. This meaning too. Catch – to understand, (catch, grasp, get – the same meaning)

20 A necessary condition of any semantic change is some connection, some association between the old meaning and the new one. There are two kinds of association involved in various semantic changes:

a) similarity of meanings;

b) contiguity of meanings.

Similarity of meanings or metaphor may be described as the semantic process of associating two referents, one of which in some way resembles the other. (head of a cabbage – shape, bookworm – behavior)

Contiguity of meanings or metonymy may be described as the semantic process of associating two referents one of which makes part of the other or is closely connected with it. (material – object made from this material – glass – a glass, place – people occ. It –chair – the chair)

21 Restriction of meaning can be illustrated by the semantic development of the word hound which used to denote ‘dog of any breed’ but now denotes only ‘a dog used in the chase’. If the word with a new restricted meaning comes to be used in the specialized vocabulary of some limited group within the speech community it is usual to speak of the specialization of meaning. (to arrive – to come to a shore, to land. Now – general meaning – to come. Pipe – musical instrument+oblong cylindrical body, thing for smoking)

Extension of meaning may be illustrated by the word target which originally meant ‘a small round shield’ but now means ‘anything that is fired at’. If the word with extended meaning passed from the specialized vocabulary into common use, the result of the semantic change is described as generalization of meaning. (deer – any beast, now – certain kind. Meat – any food, now – certain food product)

22Amelioration of meaning implies the improvement of the connotational component of meaning, e.g. the word minister originally denoted ‘a servant’ but now – ‘a civil servant of higher rank, a person administrating a department of state’. (lady – mistress of the house – married woman – wife or daughter of baronet). Second meaning developed due to the process of transference based on contiguity+denote a person of high rank.

Deterioration of the meaning implies the acquisition by the word of some derogatory emotive charge, e.g. the word boor was originally to denote ‘a peasant’ and then acquired a derogatory connotational meaning and came to denote ‘a clumsy or ill-bred fellow’. Second meaning developed a negative evaluative connotation.

23LSV – is one of the individual meanings of a polysemantic word (structured set of interrelated lexical variants with diff conn & denot meanings expressed by the same combinations of morphemes although in diff contextual conditions)

In the word ostrich, there’re 2 LSV – a large African bird, a person refusing to face unpleasant realities

+GIVE:

To give a pen, to give a smile, to give an answer

WAYS of discriminating:

Syntagmatic – to descr. the meaning throughout the given context (lexical, grammatical, phrasal)

Lex-semantic or thematic words in combination with a key word – reflecting the relationship between objects and phen in reality (sweet apple, tea – taste of sugar), (sweet girl, temper, smile – charming or attractive)

Synt – the context, indication comes from the peculiarity of synt structure.

Turn – She suddenly turned pale. Milk will turn sour… (noun+turn+adj)

Phrasal – units in which the contextual words make up one semantic hole and usually do not realize any of their syst meanings (When pigs fly. To find a mare’s nest)

Paradygmatic:

Can also help to discriminate meanings of the polysemantic words because of their different synonyms and antonyms.

Hard – difficult, using force, showing no kindness, undependant