Semantic ChangeSemantic Change

MoE - “kind and MoE - “kind and loving, loving, affectionate”affectionate”

MoE – “pleased, MoE – “pleased, delighted”delighted”

MoE – “man to MoE – “man to whom a woman is whom a woman is married”married”

OE fond – OE fond – “foolish, foolishly “foolish, foolishly credulous”credulous”

OE glad – “bright, OE glad – “bright, shining”shining”

OE husband – OE husband – “master of the “master of the house”house”

Why do words develop new meanings?Why do words develop new meanings? What circumstances cause and stimulate What circumstances cause and stimulate

their development?their development? How do words develop new meanings?How do words develop new meanings? What is the nature of the very process of What is the nature of the very process of

development of new meanings?development of new meanings?

Semantic ChangeSemantic Change

development of a new development of a new meaningmeaning

change of meaningchange of meaning

Causes of Semantic ChangeCauses of Semantic Change

WhyWhy did the word change its did the word change its meaning?meaning?

Causes of Semantic Causes of Semantic ChangeChange

linguistic factorslinguistic factors

extra-linguistic (historical) extra-linguistic (historical) factorsfactors

Extra-linguistic CausesExtra-linguistic Causes various changes in the life of the speech various changes in the life of the speech

communitycommunity changes in economic and social structureschanges in economic and social structures changes in culture, knowledge, changes in culture, knowledge,

technology, artstechnology, arts changes of ideas, scientific concepts, way changes of ideas, scientific concepts, way

of lifeof life

Extra-linguistic CausesExtra-linguistic Causes e.g. e.g. penpen Latin Latin pennapenna – “feather – “feather

of a bird”of a bird” millmill – “a building in which corn is – “a building in which corn is

ground into flour” (ground into flour” (primary meaningprimary meaning))

““textile factory” (textile factory” (secondary meaningsecondary meaning))

Linguistic CausesLinguistic Causesfactors acting within the factors acting within the

language systemlanguage system

Linguistic CausesLinguistic Causesellipsisellipsis – – a change of meaning a change of meaning

when the meaning of a word-when the meaning of a word-combination is given to only combination is given to only one word of this combinationone word of this combination

EllipsisEllipsisto starve

OE OE steorfan steorfan – – “to die”“to die” – sterven of hunger – sterven of hunger

Modern E Modern E starvestarve – – “to die from hunger”“to die from hunger”

dailydaily

dailydaily – – “happening every day”“happening every day” – a daily – a daily newspapernewspaper

dailydaily – – “a daily newspaper”“a daily newspaper”

Linguistic CausesLinguistic Causesdiscrimination of discrimination of

synonymssynonyms – – conflict of conflict of synonyms when a perfect synonyms when a perfect synonym of a native word is synonym of a native word is borrowed from other languageborrowed from other language

Discrimination of SynonymsDiscrimination of Synonyms

tidetideOE OE tidetide – 1 – 1)”time”)”time” 2) 2)”season””season” 3) 3)”hour””hour”from French – from French – time, season, hourtime, season, hourModern English Modern English tidetide – – “regular rise and fall of “regular rise and fall of

the sea caused by the moon”the sea caused by the moon”deerdeer

OE OE deordeor – – “any beast”“any beast”animalanimal – a borrowed word – a borrowed worddeerdeer – – “a certain kind of animal”“a certain kind of animal”

Nature of Semantic ChangeNature of Semantic Change

HowHow do new meanings do new meanings develop?develop?

a a conditioncondition for any semantic for any semantic change – change – associationassociation between between the old meaning and the new the old meaning and the new oneone

Two Kinds of AssociationTwo Kinds of Association

similarity of meaningssimilarity of meanings

contiguity of meaningscontiguity of meanings

Similarity of MeaningsSimilarity of Meanings(linguistic metaphor)(linguistic metaphor)

appearance of a new meaning appearance of a new meaning as a result of associating two as a result of associating two objects (phenomena, qualities, objects (phenomena, qualities, etc.) due to their resemblanceetc.) due to their resemblance

Similarity of MeaningsSimilarity of Meanings similarity of shapesimilarity of shape – – e.g. head of a e.g. head of a

cabbage, teeth of a saw, bottleneckcabbage, teeth of a saw, bottleneck similarity of positionsimilarity of position – – e.g. foot of a e.g. foot of a

page, of a mountainpage, of a mountain similarity of function, behaviorsimilarity of function, behavior – –

e.g. a bookworm, a (minute) hande.g. a bookworm, a (minute) hand

Similarity of MeaningsSimilarity of Meanings similarity of coloursimilarity of colour – – e.g. e.g.

orange, hazel, chesnutorange, hazel, chesnut complex similaritycomplex similarity – – e.g. a leg of e.g. a leg of

a tablea table – similarity in shape, – similarity in shape, position, functionposition, function

Contiguity of MeaningsContiguity of Meanings(linguistic metonymy)(linguistic metonymy)

association of two referents association of two referents one of which makes part of the one of which makes part of the other or is closely connected other or is closely connected with itwith it

Types of MetonymyTypes of Metonymy the material of which an object is made the material of which an object is made

may become the name of the objectmay become the name of the object – – e.g. an iron, a mink (“mink coat”)e.g. an iron, a mink (“mink coat”)

the name of the place may become the the name of the place may become the name of the people or of an object placed name of the people or of an object placed therethere – – e.g. the city e.g. the city was exitedwas exited, the White , the White House (“the administration of the USA”)House (“the administration of the USA”)

Types of MetonymyTypes of Metonymy names of musical instruments may names of musical instruments may

become names of musicians when become names of musicians when they are united in an orchestrathey are united in an orchestra – – e.g. e.g. the violin, the pianothe violin, the piano

the name of some person may become the name of some person may become a common nouna common noun – – e.g. sandwich (Lord e.g. sandwich (Lord Sandwich), boycott (the Boycotts)Sandwich), boycott (the Boycotts)

Types of MetonymyTypes of Metonymy names of inventors very often names of inventors very often

become terms to denote things they become terms to denote things they inventedinvented – – e.g. watt, ome.g. watt, om

geographical names may be used for geographical names may be used for things produced therethings produced there – – e.g. china e.g. china (porcelain), astrakhan (a sheep fur)(porcelain), astrakhan (a sheep fur)

Types of MetonymyTypes of Metonymy the name of a thing may be used the name of a thing may be used

for its contentfor its content – – e.g. the kettlee.g. the kettle is is boilingboiling

the name of a painter is used for the name of a painter is used for his masterpieceshis masterpieces – – e.g. a Matisse e.g. a Matisse (a painting by Matisse)(a painting by Matisse)

Results of Semantic Results of Semantic ChangeChange

WhatWhat was changed? was changed? change in the change in the rangerange of meaning of meaning

Changes in Denotational Changes in Denotational MeaningMeaning

restriction of restriction of meanings meanings (narrowing) – (narrowing) – restriction of the restriction of the types or referents types or referents denoted by the worddenoted by the word

e.g. OE “hound” – a dog of e.g. OE “hound” – a dog of any greedany greed

Modern English “hound” – a Modern English “hound” – a dog used in chasedog used in chase

extension of extension of meaningsmeanings (widening) – (widening) – application of the application of the word to wider word to wider variety of referentsvariety of referents

e.g. OE “trunk” – the main e.g. OE “trunk” – the main stem of a treestem of a tree

Modern English “trunk” – the Modern English “trunk” – the body of anythingbody of anything

Changes in Denotational MeaningChanges in Denotational Meaning

specialization - specialization - the the word with a new word with a new meaning (restricted) meaning (restricted) comes to be used in comes to be used in the specialized the specialized vocabularyvocabulary

e.g. OE glide -“to move e.g. OE glide -“to move gently and smoothly”gently and smoothly”

Modern English “glide” -to Modern English “glide” -to fly with no enginefly with no engine

generalizationgeneralization – the – the word with the extended word with the extended meaning passes from meaning passes from the specialized the specialized vocabulary into vocabulary into common usecommon use

e.g. OE “salary” – money e.g. OE “salary” – money given to soldiers to buy salt given to soldiers to buy salt withwith

Modern English “salary” – Modern English “salary” – money paid to clerksmoney paid to clerks

Changes in Connotational MeaningChanges in Connotational Meaning

pejoration pejoration (degradation, (degradation, degeneration)degeneration) – a word – a word acquires some negative acquires some negative derogatory emotive derogatory emotive chargecharge

e.g. OE “boor”- a villager, e.g. OE “boor”- a villager, a peasanta peasant

Modern English “boor” – a Modern English “boor” – a clumsy or ill-bred fellowclumsy or ill-bred fellow

amelioration amelioration (elevation)(elevation) – – improvement of improvement of the connotational the connotational componentcomponent

e.g. OE “minister” – a e.g. OE “minister” – a servant, an attendantservant, an attendant

Modern English “minister” – a Modern English “minister” – a civil servant of higher rankcivil servant of higher rank

Other Changes of Semantic MeaningOther Changes of Semantic Meaning

hyperbolehyperbole ironyirony euphemismeuphemism tabootaboo litoteslitotes

HyperboleHyperbole the exaggerated statement which the exaggerated statement which

should not be understood literally should not be understood literally as it expresses an emotional as it expresses an emotional attitude of a speaker to what he is attitude of a speaker to what he is speaking aboutspeaking about

e.g. I haven’t seen you for agese.g. I haven’t seen you for ages e.g. You’ll be the death for mee.g. You’ll be the death for me

IronyIrony the expression of one mening by the expression of one mening by

words of opposite sense, usually words of opposite sense, usually it is done for the purpose of it is done for the purpose of ridiculeridicule

e.g. How nice! (when you are angry)e.g. How nice! (when you are angry) e.g. A pretty mess you’ve done of it!e.g. A pretty mess you’ve done of it!

EuphemismEuphemism referring to something unpleasant by referring to something unpleasant by

using milder words and phrases so using milder words and phrases so that a formerly inoffensive word that a formerly inoffensive word receives a disagreeable meaningreceives a disagreeable meaning

e.g. to pass away (to die)e.g. to pass away (to die) e.g. diseased (dead)e.g. diseased (dead)

TabooTaboo the case when it is prohibited the case when it is prohibited

to pronounce a word and it is to pronounce a word and it is replaced by another word or a replaced by another word or a word-combinationword-combination

LitotesLitotes expressing the affirmative by expressing the affirmative by

the negative of its contrarythe negative of its contrary e.g. not bad =goode.g. not bad =good e.g. not small = greate.g. not small = great