the use of a proper noun to convey a general idea
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Sandwich: It now denotes a popular fast food. It
originates from John Montague, Fourth earl of
Sandwich in 18th -century England. He was so
第五章 词义的变化 Change of Meaning
外语学院 徐红新
a
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❖ When a word loses its old meaning and comes to refer to something altogether different, the result is a change of word meaning.
used his name to refer to all similar food.
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Tantalize 挑逗 Tantalus
Greek Myth: a king punished for his
misdeeds by having to stand in water
that recedes when he tries to drink it
_________ Quirk 1963:123-124
a
ห้องสมุดไป่ตู้
2
❖ Causes of changes in word meaning
❖ 1. the world is changing
❖ 社会是语言的外部因素（索绪尔，1980：43），但是社会 又不是一般的外部因素，而是客体世界中最重要的外部因 素， 因为语言是特殊的社会现象，语言跟社会诸因素有千 丝万缕的关系。
❖ 2.1 认识水平在提高 heart,brain
❖ 2.2 思想观念的更新 天堂、老板、演员、士兵
❖ 2.3心理感情因素
❖ 求新： 净面、洗脸、飚客、粉丝, 闪族
❖ 求美：春风、教室
❖ 求省：机票、机场、机群、客机、班机
❖
gold metal
❖ 求雅：euphemism 下岗、老、战略性撤退、穷
❖
红白赤
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词义的变化
a.Extension of meaning b.Restriction of meaning
c.Degeneration of meaning
d.Elevation of meaning
e.Transformation of meaning
a
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Extension of Meaning
fond of gambling that he often forgot his meals.
He often ordered slices of bread with thick pieces
of roast beef stuffed between them be brought to
him so he could eat while playing. Later, people
circumlocution lie\steal\lazy
❖ 感情因素（移情）：冤家
a
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❖ 3.The language is changing ❖ 3.1 semantic reason ❖ harvest\autumn motor 左右 ❖ 3.2 grammatical reason ❖ 廉颇老矣，尚能饭否？ ❖ 3.3 pragmatic reason ❖斗闻
It is also called widening of meaning or generalization. It’s a process by which a word which originally had a specialized meaning
has now become generalized.
a
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A. From specific to general 从特指到泛指 Example
Picture: originally: a painting or drawing
a
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The present meaning
a photograph
a cinematic picture
an x-ray picture
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Four kinds of extension A. From specific to general
B. From proper nouns to common nouns C.From concrete to abstract D.From technical terms to general words
❖ “… Change of meaning is a commonplace, and indeed it would appear to be fundamental in living language, …… almost every word we use today has a slightly different meaning from the one it had a century ago: and a century ago it had a slightly different meaning from the one it had a century before that.”
a TV picture
a radio-telescope picture
any pictaure
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More Examples rubbish
Originally: rubble (碎石）
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Now: anything worthless
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B. From proper nouns to common nouns Antonomasia 换称
❖ 1.1 旧词添新义 car\ship
❖ 1.2 科技发展 光环
❖ 1.3 普通义位与科技义位间的转变 menu, window
❖ 1.4 社会集团社会地位的变化 governor, lord
❖ 1.5 经济的发展 狗、马
❖ 1.6 民族或种族矛盾的原因 Dutch
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❖ 2. Human being is changing