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POLYSEMY, CAUSES OF SEMANTIC CHANGE, WORD MEANING, the ability of the word…
POLYSEMY
DIACHRONIC approach
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3) derived meaning – could not have appeared before primary meaning was in existence and is dependent on it
SYNCHRONIC approach
1) basic/ central meaning – the meaning that first occurs to us whenever we see or hear a word, occurs in different contexts, has the highest frequency
2) minor/ marginal meaning – less frequent, observed only in certain contexts
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WORD MEANING
DENOTATION
a) restriction of meanings (narrowing) – restriction of the types or referents denoted by the word
e.g. OE “hound” – a dog of any greed
Modern English “hound” – a dog used in chase
b) extension of meanings (widening) – application of the word to wider variety of referents (e.g. OE “trunk” – the main stem of a tree // Modern English “trunk” – the body of anything)
c) specialization - the word with a new meaning (restricted) comes to be used in the specialized vocabulary (e.g. OE glide -“to move gently and smoothly” // Modern English “glide” -to fly with no engine)
d) generalization – the word with the extended meaning passes from the specialized vocabulary into common use (e.g. OE “salary” – money given to soldiers to buy salt with // Modern English “salary” – money paid to clerks)
CONNOTATION
a) pejoration (degradation, degeneration) – a word acquires some negative derogatory emotive charge (e.g. OE “boor”- a villager, a peasant // Modern English “boor” – a clumsy or ill-bred fellow)
b) amelioration (elevation) – improvement of the connotational component (e.g. OE “minister” – a servant, an attendant // Modern English “minister” – a civil servant of higher rank)
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