English Lexicology (III)

1. English Lexicology (III)

2. Contents • 8. Word Meaning • 9. Sense Relations To be continued English lexicology (III)

3. Chapter 8 Word Meaning 8.1 Types of Word Meaning 8.2 Grammatical Meaning 8.3 Lexical meaning 8.4 Conceptual meaning 8.5 Associative meaning

4. 8.1 Types of Word Meaning Word Meaning Grammatical Meaning Lexical Meaning Connotative meaning Stylistic meaning Conceptual Meaning Associative Meaning Affective meaning Collocative meaning English lexicology (III)

5. 8.2 Grammatical Meaning • Grammatical meaning(语法意义)refers to that part of meaning of the word which indicates grammatical concept or relationships such as the word class, singular and plural forms of nouns, tense meaning of verbs and their inflectional forms (forget, forgets, forgot, forgotten, forgetting). English lexicology (III)

6. 8.3 Lexical meaning • Lexical meaning(词汇意义)is the meaning of an isolated word in a dictionary. This component of meaning is identical in all the forms of the word. • E.g. ‘go, goes, went, gone, going’ possess different grammatical meaning. But they have the same lexical meaning expressing the process of movement. • Lexical meaning itself has two components: conceptual meaning and associative meaning. English lexicology (III)

7. 8.4 Conceptual meaning • Conceptual meaning(概念意义) (also known as denotative meaning) is the meaning given in the dictionary and forms the core of word meaning. Conceptual meaning forms the basis for communication as the same word has the same conceptual meaning to all the speakers of the same language. • Sun: a heavenly body which gives off light, heat,and energy • Mother: a female parent English lexicology (III)

8. 8.5 Associative meaning • Associate meaning(关联意义)is the secondary meaning supplemented to the conceptual meaning. It differs from the conceptual meaning in that it is liable to the influence of such factors as culture, experience, religion, geographical region, class background, education,etc. • Associative meaning comprises four types: connotative meaning, stylistic meaning, affective meaning, and collocative meaning. English lexicology (III)

9. 8.5 Associative meaning • Connotative meaning (内涵意义) • In contrast to denotative meaning, connotative meaning refers to the overtones or associations which a word suggests or implies. • Mother (a female parent) is often associated with ‘love’, ‘care’, ‘tenderness’, ‘forgiving’, etc. • Home (a dwelling place) may suggest ‘family, warmth, safety, love, convenience’, etc. ‘East or west, home is best’. • Statesman implies ‘loyalty, devotion to public welfare’; politician implies ‘deceit, power-drunk, bragging, villainy’. English lexicology (III)

10. 8.5 Associative meaning • Connotative meaning • For people with different cultural backgrounds, a word might evoke different associations. English lexicology (III)

11. 8.5 Associative meaning • Stylistic meaning(文体意义) • Words may have stylistic features, which make them appropriate for different contexts. • This stylistic difference is especially true of synonyms. It is observed that there are few words which have both the same conceptual meaning and stylistic meaning. English lexicology (III)

12. 8.5 Associative meaning • Stylistic meaning • Degrees of formality • Formal • Neutral/Common • Informal/ Colloquial • Examples • male parent, father, daddy • residence, home, pad English lexicology (III)

13. 8.5 Associative meaning • Stylistic meaning • bodily----corporal • brotherly---fraternal • tooth----dental • blood----sanguinary • hereby, thereby, therefore, however, moreover, furthermore English lexicology (III)

14. 8.5 Associative meaning • Affective meaning(情感意义) • Affective meaning indicates the speaker’s attitude towards the person or thing in question. • Words that have emotive values may fall into two categories: • Appreciative or commendatory(褒义): words of positive overtones used to show appreciation or approval. • Pejorative or derogatory(贬义): words of negative connotations imply disapproval, contempt or criticism. English lexicology (III)

15. 8.5 Associative meaning • Affective meaning • Appreciative • love, cherish, prize, treasure, admire, worship, charm, fascinate, attract • Pejorative • hate, detest, loathe, abominate, vicious, good-for-nothing English lexicology (III)

16. 8.5 Associative meaning • Affective meaning • This affective difference is especially true of synonyms. English lexicology (III)

17. 8.5 Associative meaning • Collocative meaning(搭配意义) • Collocative meaning consists of the associations a word acquires in its collocation. In other words, it is that part of the word meaning suggested by the words before or after the word in discussion. English lexicology (III)

18. 8.5 Associative meaning • Collocative meaning • ‘A bit or a little’ collocates with words of negative connotations: drunk, jealous, gloomy, tired, worried… • ‘Highly’ collocates with words of positive connotations: important, significant, intelligent, sensitive… English lexicology (III)

19. 8.5 Associative meaning • Collocative meaning • wide awake, fully awake, sound asleep, far apart (‘Very’ is inappropriate here) • tremble with fear, quiver with excitement English lexicology (III)

20. Chapter 9 Sense Relations 9.1 Sense Relations 9.2 Hyponymy 9.3 Synonymy 9.4 Antonymy 9.5 Homonymy

21. 9.1 Sense Relations • What are sense relations(语义关系)? • Words are arbitrary symbols and are independent identities so far as heir outer facet---spelling and pronunciation, is concerned. But semantically, all words are related in one way or another, hence sense relations. In light of sense relations, words can be classified semantically. English lexicology (III)

22. 9.1 Sense Relations • Types of sense relations • Hyponymy(上下义关系)---semantic inclusion • Synonymy(同义关系)---semantic similarity • Antonymy(反义关系)---semantic opposition • Homonymy(同形或同音异义关系) English lexicology (III)

23. 9.2 Hyponymy • The definition of hyponymy • Hyponymy deals with the relationship of semantic inclusion. It refers to the relationship which obtains between the genus (general lexical item)and the species(specific lexical items). • The general lexical item is called the superordinate(上义词). • The specific words are known as hyponyms(下义词). English lexicology (III)

24. 9.2 Hyponymy literature prose fiction drama poetry novel novelette short story English lexicology (III)

25. 9.2 Hyponymy sports swimming ball games athletics gymnastics weight-lifting wrestling running race boxing running hurdle race long-distance race sprinting relay English lexicology (III)

26. 9.2 Hyponymy • The semantic field theory(语义场理论) • The vocabulary of a language is not simply a listing of independent items, but is organized into areas or fields, the members of which are joined together by some common semantic component. The whole vocabulary can be divided up into fields. Words in each field are semantically related and define one another. Vocabulary is seen as ‘ an integrated system of lexemes interrelated in sense’. • ------Jost Trier (a German linguist) English lexicology (III)

27. 9.2 Hyponymy • The semantic field theory • Most languages share same semantic fields. • Time • Space • Age • Kinship • Food • Color • Emotion • ……… English lexicology (III)

28. 9.2 Hyponymy • The semantic field theory • The semantic field of the same concept may not have the same members in different languages, thus lexical gaps(词汇空缺)occur. English lexicology (III)

29. 9.2 Hyponymy • The semantic field theory • The semantic field of kinship • Members in English: 13----father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, cousin, husband, wife. • Members in Chinese: ………. • The semantic field of food • hot dog, sandwich, hamburger • 豆腐, 馒头 English lexicology (III)

30. 9.2 Hyponymy • The semantic field theory emotion joy hate fear grief love English lexicology (III)

31. 9.2 Hyponymy • Implications of semantic field for vocabulary learning character/ virtue easy-going, aggressive, arrogant, self-conceited, modest,considerate, sympathetic, extrovert, introvert, amicable, Ambitious, honest, loyal, obedient, strong-willed, Iron-willed, trustworthy, obstinate, stubborn, unyielding, confident English lexicology (III)

32. 9.3 Synonymy • Types of synonyms • Absolute or perfect synonyms: words which are identical in meaning in all its aspects, I.e. both in grammatical and lexical meaning, including conceptual and associative meaning. Such synonyms are rare in natural languages. • compounding and composition; • word building and word-formation; • malnutrition and undernourishment English lexicology (III)

33. 9.3 Synonymy • Types of synonyms • Relative or partial synonyms: words which are similar or nearly the same in denotation, but embrace different shades of meaning or different degree of a given quality. It is this type of synonyms we shall deal with here. English lexicology (III)

34. 9.3 Synonymy • Sources of synonyms • Borrowing English lexicology (III)

35. 9.3 Synonymy • Sources of synonyms • Borrowing English lexicology (III)

36. 9.3 Synonymy • Sources of synonyms • Dialects and regional English English lexicology (III)

37. 9.3 Synonymy • Sources of synonyms • Figurative and euphemistic of words English lexicology (III)

38. 9.3 Synonymy • Sources of synonyms • Coincidence with idiomatic expressions English lexicology (III)

39. 9.3 Synonymy • Semantically synonymous field(同义语义场) • Base on semantic similarity, synonyms are usually arranged into synonymic groups or sets. Within this groups there is the most general term known as “synonymic dominant”(主导同义词). The synonymic dominant is the common denotational component that brings two or more words together into a synonymic group(同义词群), which can be called a semantically synonymous field. English lexicology (III)

40. 9.3 Synonymy • Semantically synonymous field English lexicology (III)

41. 9.3 Synonymy • Implications of Semantically synonymous field • General------specific • Say/speak: murmur, scream, retort, argue, protest, claim, state, declare • Monotony----vividness • We have but one aim and one single, irrevocable purpose. We are resolved to destroy Hitler and every vestige of the Nazi regime. From this nothing will turn us, nothing. We will never parley, we will never negotiate with Hitler or any of his gangs. • -------Winston Churchill • Barbie doll’s fashion: fashions, costumes, outfits, apparel, dress….. English lexicology (III)

42. 9.3 Synonymy • Discrimination of synonyms • Difference in denotation ------look: stare, gaze, eye, peep, glance ------laugh: chortle, chuckle, giggle, guffaw, snicker/snigger, titter ------extend, increase, expand -------make one’s way: thread one’s way, dig one’s way, break one’s way, push one’s way, shoulder one’s way, elbow one’s way, worm one’s way English lexicology (III)

43. 9.3 Synonymy • Discrimination of synonyms • Difference in denotation -----let, allow, permit -----want, wish, desire -----rich, wealthy -----big, large, huge English lexicology (III)

44. 9.3 Synonymy • Discrimination of synonyms • Difference in denotation ------chilly, frigid, icy, cold, frosty, cool Cool-----chilly-----cold-----frosty-----frigid-----icy English lexicology (III)

45. 9.3 Synonymy • Discrimination of synonyms • Difference in connotation • Differ in emotional coloring • Differ in stylistic coloring English lexicology (III)

46. 9.3 Synonymy • Discrimination of synonyms • Difference in collocation -----empty (box, street, room), vacant (seat, chair, apartment), blank (check, a blank sheet of paper) ------a large (not big) amount/number/quantity of… ------great courage/confidence/wisdom ------make efforts, take measures English lexicology (III)

47. 9.3 Synonymy • Discrimination of synonyms • Difference in collocation -----accuse….of, charge…with, rebuke…for, reproach…with/for -----a lump of sugar, a sheet of paper, a slice of meat/bread, a cake of soap, a chunk of wood -----a flock of sheep/goats/birds, a herb of cows/elephants/zebras/antelopes, a school of fish/whales/dolphins, a swarm of ants/bees/wasps/locusts, a stable of horses, a pride of lions English lexicology (III)

48. 9.3 Synonymy • Discrimination of synonyms • Difference in distribution Pre-modifier VS post-modifier ---He is the greatest living novelist in England. ---He is the greatest novelist alive in England. ---Don’t disturb the sleeping old man. ---Don’t disturb the old man asleep. English lexicology (III)

49. 9.3 Synonymy • Discrimination of synonyms • The losing team was from further competition. • Firefighters a big fire. • The meeting has been because of the flu. • The government the tax on alcohol. abolish, cancel, extinguish, eliminate eliminated extinguished cancelled abolished English lexicology (III)

50. 9.3 Synonymy • Discrimination of synonyms • She made an of ideas she wanted to present in her talk. • I have read the of his book. • The chemistry book had a at the end of each chapter. abstract, outline, summary outline abstract summary English lexicology (III)