Practical work no.10

Identification of the cases of elevation and degeneration of meaning.

Objectives: to identify of the cases of elevation and degeneration of meaning.

Ex.1. In the examples given below identify the cases of widening and narrowing of meaning.

1. While the others waited the elderly executive filled his pipe and lit it. 2. Finn was watching the birds. 3. The two girls took hold of one another, one acting gentleman, the other lady; three or four more pairs of girls immediately joined them and began a waltz. 4. He was informed that the president had not arrived at the bank, but was on his way.

Ex.2. Have the italicized words evaluative connotations in their meanings? Motivate your answer.

1. The directors now assembling were admirals and field marshals of commerce. 2. For a businessman to be invited to serve on a top-flight bank board is roughly equivalent to being knighted by the British Queen. 3. I had a nice newsy gossip with Mrs. Needham before you turned up last night. 4. The little half-starved guy looked more a victim than a villain. 5. Meanwhile I nodded my head vigorously and directed a happy smile in the direction of the two ladies.

Ex.3. Read the following. Find examples of "degeneration" and "elevation" of meaning.

1. King Arthur invented Conferences because he was secretly a Weak King and liked to know what his memorable thousand and one knights wanted to do next. As they were all jealous knights he had to have the memorable Round Table made to have the Conferences at, so that it was impossible to say which was top knight.

(From 1066 and All That by С W. Sellar, R. J. Yeatman)

2. Alf: Where are you going, Ted?

Ted: Fishing at the old mill.

Alf: But what about school?

Ted: Don’t be silly. There aren’t any fish there!

Section 5. Homonyms. Synonyms. Euphemisms. Antonyms. Theme 5.1. Homonyms. Sources of homonyms, classification of homonyms. Practical work no.11

Identification of homonyms (homonyms proper, homographs, homophones).

Objectives: to distinguish between homonyms proper, homographs, homophones.

Ex.1. Pick out homophones in the following sentences and analyse them.

1. The pale moon gave him a view of a tower. In another moment he was flying down the street with his pail.

2. I should think over, upon the whole, an improvement in your accommodation. The two little candles pierced a hole in the darkness.

3. The rabbits scudded away with their white tails in the air. She was like the girl in the fairy-tale.

4. Colonel Ashton in his father's absence acted as principal mourner. He does everything on principle.

Ex. 2. Of the two homophones given in brackets choose the correct one.

1) I bring fresh showers (fore, four, for) the thirsting (flours, flowers),

From the (seas, seize) and the streams,

I (bare, bear) light shade for leaves when (laid, lade)

In their noonday dreams.

2) A wind came out of the (sea, see)

And said, "O mists, make room for me,"

It (haled, hailed) the ships, and cried;

"(Sale, sail) on,

Ye mariners, the (knight, night) is gone.

3) Oh, why don't you ( pray, prey)

To the good Lord for (bred, bread)?

How can I (prey, pray)

To the God that is dead!

4) In a (weak, week) another order followed (no, know) (won, one) was (aloud, allowed) to

walk down the (main, mane) (isle, aisle) coming to and from work.

Ex. 3. Spell out the transcribed words:

1. Honey is [swJt], [bAt] the [bJ] stings.

2. [tH] heads are better than [wAn]

3. Don't [sel] the [bFqz] before [jH] have [kLt] him.

4. After [rein] comes fine weather.

5. [nqu] living man all things [kxn]

6. If the cap [fits] [wEq(r)] it.

7. Make hay while the [sAn] shines.

8. Men should be what they [si:m]

Ex. 4. Find homonyms to the underlined words.

1 .Come not, when I am dead,

To drop thy foolish tears upon my grave,

To trample round my fallen head,

And vex the unhappy dust thou wouldst not save.

There let the wind sweep and the plover cry

But ,thou go by.

2. Don't put your hand between the bark and the tree.

Ex. 5.

a) Find perfect homonyms in the following sentences and translate them into Russian.

b) State whether they are complete or partial, lexical or lexico-grammatical homonyms.

1. Colin managed to slighter on the bank (Lind.). He was worried by the perfect storm of wildcat 'money which was floating about and which was constantly coming to his bank (Th. Dr.).

2. They will "sack you as soon as things slacken. (Lind.). We're going to take a sack of coal (Lind.). I shall be obliged to get my breakfast and morning-draught of sack from the old Jacobine ladies (W. Sc).

3. His heart thudded so fast (Lind.). He who feasts till he is sick, must fast "till he is well.

4. They took up a lot of small fry (Lind.). It's a shame to fry an egg as fresh as that one was (id.).

5. You had to walk about fifty yards along the street in front (Lind.). They were all playing in the back yard.

6. The little boy was still out (Lind.). Still waters have deep bottoms.

Ex. 6. a) Translate the following perfect homonyms into Russian.

b) Use them in sentences of your own.

re-collect, recollect; re-cover, recover; re-form, reform.