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By IvoryUnit 7 Polysemy and homonymy第第1页页Page 2nWords are arbitrary symbols and are independent identities so far as their outer facet-spelling and pronunciation is concerned.But semantically,all words are related in one way or another.A word which is related to other words is related to them in sense,hence sense relations.We can even say that the senses of the word are prominent only when they are related in the system.第第2页页Page 3nThe subjects that have long held the interest and attention of semanticists are polysemy,homonymy,synonymy,antonymy and hyponymy and taxonomy.第第3页页Page 4The main sense relations in English vocabulary are shown as follows:nPolysemy:Give me a hand please.He is a new hand.nHomonymy:On Sunday they pray for you,but on Monday they prey on you.nAntonymy:My only love sprung from my only hate.nSynonymy:He comes in panting.He sits on a chair,breathless.nHyponymy:A family usually includes a father,mother and child.nTaxonomy:X is a type of Y.第第4页页Page 5I.Polysemy n1.1 definitonnPolysemy is a universal feature of all natural languages.It is a term used in semantic analysis to refer to a lexical item which has a range of different meanings.The co-existence of several meanings in a word is called polysemy.Polysemy can be used to achieve humor,irony,a dramatic effect.English like all other languages,is full of polysemic words.第第5页页Page 6handhand:that part of human body beyond the wrist.nGive me a hand,please.nHe is a new hand.nWe need some extra hands.nHe writes a good hand.nAll hands on deck!nThe clock has one hand only.helpperformerworkmanhandwritingsailorpointer第第6页页Page 71.2 Why would polysemy appear in each language?nThat is due to the great generality and the change in word meaning.When words are first coined,they are always monosemic，but within the course of development,the same word may has two or more different meanings.第第7页页Page 81.3 Two approaches to polysemy:n1）diachronic approach（历时角度）（历时角度）nIt refers to the study of the growth or change in the semantic structure of a word,or how the semantic structure of a word has developed from a primary meaning to the present polysemic state,i.e.with derived(second)meanings springing from the original(primary)meaning.第第8页页Page 9n From the diachronic point of view,polysemy is assumed to be the result of growth and development of the semantic structure of one and same word.The primary meaning gave birth to new meaning.nThe primary meaning become either absolute or disappeared altogether.第第9页页Page 10n2）synchronic approach（共时角度）（共时角度）nIt refers to the comparative value of individual meaning and the interrelation between the central meaning and secondary meanings.Synchronically,polysemy is viewed as the coexistence of various meanings of the same word in a certain historical period of time,say,Modern English.第第10页页Page 11nThe basic meaning of a word is the core of word meaning.The core of word meaning called the central meaning（secondary meaning）.nThe central meaning has gradually diminished in currency with the changes and one of the derived meanings has become dominant.第第11页页Page 121.4 two processes of the developmentnThe development of word-meaning from monosemy to polysemy follows two courses,traditionally known as radiation and concatenation.第第12页页Page 131.4.1 radiation（辐射型）（辐射型）nFace:Its central meaning is the front part of the head nIts secondary meanings are:nThe face of the clock looks better.nThe north face of a mountainnthe face of the citynHe has a smiling face.nHe has tried his best to save his face.nWhich face shall we print the cover in?第第13页页Page 14nRadiation is the process in which the primary or central meaning stands at the center while secondary meaning radiate from it in every direction like rays.And all the secondary meanings might easily have developed from the central meaning without regard to any of the others.第第14页页Page 151.4.2 Concatenation（连结型）（连结型）nCatenachain in LatinnIts a process where each of the later meaning is related only to the preceding one like chains.It is another semantic process in which the meaning of a word moves gradually away from its first sense,till there is no connection between the meanings developed and its primary sense.第第15页页Page 16nUnlike radiation where each of the derived meanings is directly connected to the primary meaning,concatenation describes a process where each of the later meaning is related only to the preceding one like chains.Though the latest sense can be traced back to the original,there is no direct connection in between.第第16页页Page 17nThe word“candidate”in Latin means“a person dressed in white”(A),n“a seeker for office who dressed in white”(A+B),n“a seeker for office”(B)nA A+B B第第17页页Page 18n1.5 the sense relations within the polysemyn(1)primary(original)meaning&secondary(derived)meaningnWhen the word was first coined,that meaning with it was the original meaning.All other meanings are secondary or derived.Candidate,original meaning is the person dressed in white.Pen:plume or feather.第第18页页Page 19n(2)general meaning&specific meaningnA word can refer to the general and also the specific one in the groupnCase:that is often the case with him;This is a case of cholera.nArist:all kinds of artists;artists who are paintersnGas:all kinds of gases;The gas used in the kitchennFire:all kinds of fire;the fire in the living room第第19页页Page 20n(3)abstract meaning&concrete meaningnBeauty is but skin deep.nShe is a real beauty.nHis heart is swelled with pride.nThe bright boy is the pride of his parents.第第20页页Page 21nGenerally,almost all abstract words can be used to refer to concrete things.nE.g.government nThe art of government;the local governmentn worry nWorry and suffering have turned her hair white.nWhat a worry that child is!第第21页页Page 22nSome concrete words can develop its abstract meaning.nE.g.eye nHe has an eye for beauty.第第22页页Page 23n NervenDid he have the nerve to say that?nGut nYou dont have the guts to do so.nStage nShe went on the stage at the age of 14.第第23页页Page 24n(4)literal meaning&non-literal(figurative)meaningnReflect a mirror reflects light.Their actions reflect their thought.nBlanket a blanket of snownFoot the foot of the mountainnEye the eye of the needlenFlaw a flaw in a china vase,a flaw in a persons character第第24页页Page 252.HomonymynHomonyms are words different in meaning,but identical both in sound and spelling or identical only in spelling or sound.There are many pairs or groups of words,which,though different in meaning,are pronounced alike,or spelled alike,or both.Such words are called homonyms.第第25页页Page 26nMost homonys are coincidences,but some are the result of language development:if a polysemic word develops into a certain point the word can split into two words which have the identical form;words formed by conversion can also be homonyms.第第26页页Page 272.1 types of homonyms(同音异义或同形异意同音异义或同形异意)n1）Perfect homonyms（完全同音同形异义词）完全同音同形异义词）nIt refers to the words identical in sound and spelling but different in meaning.e.g.meet vt.to come upon or encounter;meet n.a meeting,gatering or assembling as for a sporting event.nBear 熊；忍耐熊；忍耐 pupil 瞳孔；小学生瞳孔；小学生 pop:流行歌曲；流行歌曲；砰砰地一声；地一声；父亲父亲 sound:健全；健全；声音；测探；海峡声音；测探；海峡;Ear:穗；耳朵穗；耳朵第第27页页Page 28nCoke refreshes you like no other can.nIn her wondrous eyes love lies,and lies and lies.n-Its everybodys right,right?n-You think all your right is right?第第28页页Page 29n2）Homophones（同音异义词）（同音异义词）:n Words identical in sound but different in spelling and meaning.ne.g.air,heir;bear,bare;dear,deer;pair,pear；meet,meat,mete;right,write,wright,rite etc.第第29页页Page 30n-Why is the Middle Ages also called Dark Ages?n-Because there were many knights.(nights)nMore sun and air for your son and heir.nUse in psychological researchUse in psychological researchnPray Steel wore week pour aids dye flee coursePray Steel wore week pour aids dye flee coursenprey steal war weak poor AIDs die flea coarseprey steal war weak poor AIDs die flea coarse第第30页页Page 31n3)Homographs（同形异义词）（同形异义词）n Words identical in spelling but different in sound and meaning.ne.g.lead/li:/:v.guide or take;lead/led/:n.easily melted metal of a dull bluish-grey colour.nThe dove dove into the bushes.第第31页页Page 32nThe bandage was wound around the wound.nThe insurance for the invalid was invalid.nThey were too close to the door to close it.nThe soldier decided to desert into the desert.nThe fisherman threw the bass onto a bass drum.第第32页页Page 332.2 the sources of homonymsn1）Phonetic convergence(音变汇合音变汇合)n Converging sound development is the most common cause of homonymy,or to be more exact,of homophones.ne.g.bean originally pronounced/ben/,but now developed to pronounced/bi：/and just like been,so bean and been are completely homophones.flea flee heal heel 第第33页页Page 34n2）Semantic divergence(词义分化词义分化)n When two or more meanings of the same word drift apart to such an extent that there will be no obvious connection between them,polysemy will give place to homonymy,thus polysemys developed to homonyms.n e.g.flower and flour were origianlly in one word flour精华精华,but flour developed into two words as flower and flour.第第34页页Page 35n3）Shortening/Foreign influence(外来影响外来影响):Words introduced from abroad have increased the number of homonyms in English.e.g.fair(OE attractive)fair(a gathering L holiday)n4）Shortening(缩略缩略):Homonyms may also be created by the word-formation process of clipping.e.g.rock-rock n roll,a kind of popular music,rock-stone.Pop：popular music pop corn 第第35页页Page 362.3 Differentiation of Homonyms and polysemants nIts easy to distinguish homophones and homographs with polysemants for homophones have different spellings and pomographs have different sounds.But Perfect homonyms and polysemants are fully identical regard to spelling and pronunciation.第第36页页Page 37nHomonyms refer to different word,which happen to share the same forms.Polysemant is the one and some word,which has several meanings.第第37页页Page 38nOne important criterion is to see their etymology.Homonyms are from different sources.A polysemant is from the same source,which has acquired different meaning in the course of development.第第38页页Page 39nThe second principle is semantic relatedness.The various meanings of a polysemant are correlated and connected to some central meaning to a greater or less degree.Meanings of different homonyms have nothing to do with one another.n 第第39页页Page 40nThe third principle is to check the entry in the dictionary.A Polysemic word is under one same entry in the dictionary,while homonyms are under different entries.第第40页页Page 412.4 Rhetoric features of homonymynAs homonyms are identical in sound and spelling,particularly homophones,they are often employed to create puns for desired effect of,say,humor,sarcasm or ridicule.nConsider the following conversation that took place between a waitress and a customer in a restaurant.第第41页页Page 42ne.g 1Youre not eating your fish,the waitress said to him.Anything wrong with it?nLong time no sea,the man replied.n“Long time no see”is usually said as a form of greeting between two friends when they meet after a long time.Here the customer cleverly employed the structure of the idiom to his advantage to criticize in a humorous way the bad quality of the food served at the restaurant.Long time no sea implies that sea food kept for a long time is not fit for eating.第第42页页Page 43 e.g.2 On Sunday they pray for you and on Monday they prey on you.nThis was the remark made by a London worker on one Sunday morning when he saw groups of the so called pious gentlemen and ladies entering the church for prayer.Prey meaning plunder or rob sounds the same as pray.In the church,the gentlemen and ladies pray for blessing from the God,but once out of church,they show their true features,ruthlessly exploiting the working people like ferocious animals preying on their victims.The sardonic tone is unmistakable.第第43页页Page 44ne.g.3-Do you know what happens to liars when they die?-Yes,they lie still.ne.g.4 He went out in the West,where men are menne.g.5 -Did you play chess with your wife?-Yes.n-Which won?-Which one?Why do you think I have two wives?第第44页页Page 45ne.g.6 How is bread made?“I know that!”Alice cried eagerly.“”you take some flour”n“Where do you pick the flower?”the White Queen asked.“in a garden,or in the hedges?”n“Well,it isnt picked at all,”Alice explained,“its ground”n“How many acres of ground?”第第45页页第第46页页
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