Chapter 4 Changes of Word Meaning
徐海燕老师录制的视频
Contents: changes of word-meaning; types of changes: extension, narrowing, elevation, degradation and transfer
Objectives:
1.Discuss changes in word-meaning.
2 Have students to understand the processes and directions of change of word meaning
Difficult points: six tendencies in semantic change; extension of meaning; narrowing of meaning; elevation of meaning; degradation of meaning, transfer of meaning and euphemism
Procedures:
Step I Brief review of the last lecture
Step II Presentation
1.Study with students the word examples to see in how an interesting way these words meanings change, at the same time show them some Chinese words with the same changing process.
2.Ask students to remember these words appearing in this part which are very good examples to show the tendency of changes of word meaning.
3.Explain the six types of changes in word meaning: extension, narrowing, elevation, degradation, euphemism and transfer
Types of changes
Word-meaning changes by modes of
Extension< 扩展>,narrowing<缩小> ,degradation< 降格>,elevation< 升格>,and transfer
Causes of changes: it is in response to some need
Extra-linguistic factors
1. Historical reason
2. Class reason
3. Psychological reason
The role of context <语境>
1. Elimination of ambiguity <消除歧义>
2. Indication of referents <限定所指>
3. Provision of clues for inferring
word -meaning <为猜测词义提供线索>
Step III Answer students’ questions
Step IV Homework
Exercises
1.Give the original meaning of each of the following words and label the process it has undergone.
1) fable fruit predicament hound garage
2) scene journal picture layman bribery
3) clown wench silly lust illicit
4) butler nice dean shrine marshal
keys: 1) fable (寓言)： any tale 故事 (narrowing)
fruit（水果）： fruit (水果) a product or something enjoyed 产品，喜好之物（narrowing）
predicament（困境）: any situation 境况（narrowing）
hound (猎狗)： any dog 狗（narrowing）
garage (车库): any safe place 安全地(narrowing)
2) scene（景）： tent or covered place 帐篷，庶蔽处（extension）
journal(期刊)： daily 日报（extension）
picture (图，画，照片): something painted油画（extension）
layman(外行)： not a member of the clergy 俗人（extension）
bribery（贿赂）： scraps, leavings, lumps of bread given to beggars 施舍给乞丐的面包屑，剩余物（extension）
3)clown(小丑): a man who worked on a farm农夫（degradation）
wench(妓女): a country girl 乡村姑娘（degradation）silly
silly（愚蠢的）: happy 高兴（degradation）
lust(肉欲): pleasure 快乐（degradation）
illicit(违法的): not allowed 不可许可的(degradation)
4)butler(管事)： bottle-servant 侍酒馆(elevation)
nice（好的）： ignorant 无知(elevation)
dean(主任，院长): a leader of ten 10人领班(elevation)
shrine(神殿): a box箱，盒(elevation)
marine(元帅)： groom or horse-servant 马夫(elevation)
