1、现代英语词汇学概论,Lexicology,Chapter 5,Word meaning and Semantic Features,Chapter 5,5.1 Conventionality and Motivation 5.2 Main Types of Word Meaning 5.3 Componential Analysis and Semantic Features,5.1 The relationship between the sound-symbol and its sense,Questions: 1. What is the relationship between the
2、 sound-symbol and its sense? How are the sound and meaning of words related?,How are the sound and meaning of words related?,Two ways: 1. Conventionality (约定俗成) 2. Motivation(有理可据),Conventionality,Conventional or arbitrary Arbitrary: adj. decided by or based on chance or personal opinion rather than
3、 facts or reason. Conventional or arbitrary: there is no intrinsic relation between the sound-symbol and its sense.,Motivation,Motivation: there is the connection between word-symbol and its sensePhonetic motivation Morphological motivation Semantic motivation,Phonetic motivation: pronunciation sugg
4、ests the meaning, including echoic words or onomatopoeic wordsE.g. woof-woofthe woof-woof of a dog miaowthe miaow of a cat roarthe roar of a lion bangthe bang of a door,Morphological motivation: there is a direct connection between the morphemic structure of the word and its meaning.E.g. anticancer
5、kilogram good-looking daydream,Semantic motivation: The figurative meaning can be understood by those who know the literal meaning.E.g. a stony heart the leg of a table,What is the relationship between the sound-symbol and its sense?,1. Conventionality (约定俗成)Most words are conventional.2. Motivation
6、(有理可据)back,5.2 Types of Word Meaning,Types of Word Meaning: A. Grammatical meaning B. Lexical meaning,Types of Word Meaning,A. Grammatical meaning1. word-class2. inflectional paradigm B. Lexical meaning1. denotative meaning2. connotative meaning3. social or stylistic meaning4. affective meaning back
7、,A. Grammatical meaning,1. word-class: The word-class determines the position that a word normally occupies in a sentencee.g.Being a child, he cant understand what he just said.He never dreams of being a superstar._ in an atmosphere of simple living was what her parents wished for.A. The girl to be
8、educated C. The girl educatedB. The girls being educated D. The girl was educated,A. Grammatical meaning,2. inflectional paradigm seasons of a year一年四季 the poles南北两极 “I bought it,” said Becky, in a voice trembling with emotion; “I went to see if I could be of any use to my kind friends. I have never
9、 parted with that picture- I never will.” “是我把它买下的。那时候我去看了看到底有没有法子帮帮我的好朋友们。我一直把这幅画好好藏着-我以后也要把它好好藏着。”,B. Lexical meaning,1. denotative meaning（外延意义）conceptual meaning (概念意义) the non-linguistic entities (physical objects, natural phenomena / things, events, processes) to which a word refers a words de
10、finition given in a dictionary e.g. chairchair: a piece of furniture for one person to sit on, which usually ahs a back, a seat, four legs, and sometimes arms the same meaning for all speakers of a given community It is that aspect of lexical meaning which makes communication possible. the central f
11、actor in linguistic communication,B. Lexical meaning,2. connotative meaning (内涵意义) the emotional association which a word or a phrase suggests in ones minde.g. motherdenotative meaning: female parentconnotative meaning: love, care, warm,two levels of connotation Connotations pertaining to individual
12、sbased on personal experience e.g. fatherConnotations pertaining to a group e.g. communist, road, Uncle Sam,B. Lexical meaning,3. social or stylistic meaning the criterion of formality:formal, neutral and informal,B. Lexical meaning,4. affective meaning appreciatory (apprec.), derogatory (derog.),Ty
13、pes of Word Meaning,A. Grammatical meaning1. word-class2. inflectional paradigm B. Lexical meaning1. denotative meaning2. connotative meaning3. social or stylistic meaning4. affective meaningback,5.3 Componential Analysis and Semantic Features,A: male B: female (-male) C: small (-adult) (1): human (
14、2): Bovine (3): Ovine (4): Porcine,ManMan: +Hunan +Adult +Male ChildChild: +Human -Adult +Male CowCow: +Bovine +Adult -Male LambLamb: +Ovine -Adult +Male BoarBoar: +Porcine +Adult -Male,Semantic features (语义特征) Male Adult Human Bovine Ovine Porcine componential analysis A process of breaking down th
15、e sense of a word into its minimal components (semantic features). How to do a componential analysis on the basis of semantic contrast,Advantages of componential analysis Enable us to have an exact knowledge of the conceptual meaning of a word Help us to choose the right word or collocation e.g. Fiv
16、e students elapsed. Five years elapsed. Elapse: vi. fml. (of time) pass by,The committee has anticipated the problems that _ in the road construction project. (2007 TEM4)A. arise B. will arise C. arose D. have arisen,6. subtle / delicateA. There is a very subtle difference between “citizen rights” a
17、nd “human rights”.B. This is a delicate situation. We must handle it with great care.C. She looked very delicate, but she was very energetic and had a strong will. Delicate: 需要谨慎处理和对待 becoming ill easily; not strong 容易生病的; 不强壮的 Subtle: 有洞察、领悟事物细微差别和微妙关系的能力 not easy to detect or describe; fine; delic
18、ate /organized in a clever and complex way巧妙的/able to see and describe fine and delicate differences; sensitive 敏锐的,6. subtle / delicateA. There is a very subtle difference between “citizen rights” and “human rights”.B. This is a delicate situation. We must handle it with great care.C. She looked ve
19、ry delicate, but she was very energetic and had a strong will. back,Subtle: adj.a. not easy to notice, understand, or explaindifficult to understand难理解微妙的e.g. subtle differences in meaningb. clever in arrangement, esp. so as to deceive people 精妙的e.g. a subtle planc. very clever in noticing and under
20、standinge.g. a subtle mind back,Delicate: adj.a. needing careful handling, esp. because easily broken or damaged e.g. Be careful with those wine glasses theyre very delicate.b. needing careful treatment in order to avoid failure or troublee.g. a delicate situationThe negotiations are at a very delic
21、ate stage.c. easily made ille.g. a delicate childd. finely made in a way that shows great skille.g a delicate piece of workmanshipe. (of a taste, smell, etc.) pleasing but not strong and perhaps not easy to recognize.e.g. a delicate flavour / smell back,Subtle : -understandableDelicate : +breakable,
22、Disadvantages of componential analysis The impossibility of making a list of the infinite number of semantic features. Many words are often used figuratively without observing the normal “usage rules”back,Review,5.1 The relationship between the word-symbol and its sense1.Conventionality 2. Motivation 5.2 Main Types of Word Meaning1. Grammaticalword-classinflection2. Lexicaldenotativeconnotativeformalityaffective 5.3 Componential Analysis and Semantic Features,
