戴炜栋语言学第七讲

LectureSevenLanguageChangeI.IntroductionAnylanguagemaychangewithtimepassing,butthechangedoesnothappenovernight.Examples:oldEnglish,middleEnglishandmodernEnglish;ancientChineseandmodernChineseThechangescanbefoundindifferentaspectsofthelanguage.II.ChangeinpronunciationExamplesofchangesbetweenoldEnglishandmodernEnglishOldEnglishModernEnglishstan[sta:n]stone[st]ham[ha:m]home[hm]wrat[ra:t]wrote[rt]rad[ra:d]rode[rd]ExamplesofchangesbetweenmiddleEnglishandmodernEnglishMiddleEnglishModernEnglishmice[m:s]mice[mais]mouse[m:s]mouse[maus]broke[br:k]broke[brk]Changesinpronunciationbetweenthe16thand17thcenturystandardEnglishandthemodernEnglish.(DifferenceinpronunciationbetweenBritishEnglishandAmericanEnglish,seeZhou,1995,pp.61-68)III.Morphologicalandsyntacticchange1.Changein“agreement”ruleWhanthatAprillewithhisshouressooth…(WhenthatAprilwithhisshowerssweet…)2.ChangeinnegativeruleIlovetheenot.Hesawyounot.3.ProcessofsimplificationChangesreflectedincaseandgender.OldEnglishMiddleEnglishModernEnglishure/urumoureour4.LossofinflectionsOldEnglishModernEnglishstan/slanasstone/stonesgear/gearyear/yearsIV.Vocabularychange1.AdditionofnewwordsA.CompoundingExample1:butter+fly=butterfly!+=Example2:Dog+House=Doghouse!+=()Moreexamples:newspaper,pigtail,sandstorm,ladybug,thumbnail,handbagB.CoinageZipper让我联想到另外一个绝佳的生造词例子—“Zippo”。1932年美国宾夕法尼亚州的GeorgeBlaisdel发明了这种又好看且好用的打火机，他为当时的另一项发明zipper（拉链）所着迷，所以称他的新打火机叫作“Zippo”。这种个人定义的生造词例子层出不穷，很多大公司商标的命名就沿用这一创造性的做法，这些在字典中查不到的英语单词在日常生活中却最为大众所熟知。字典永远收不尽词汇，这是字典的遗憾，却是人类的福音—语言的更新永无止境。C.Clippedwordsgym—gymnasiumexpo—expositionmemo—memorandumdisco—discothequeburger—hamburgerdozer—bulldozerquake—earthquakefridge—refrigeratorscript—prescriptionD.Blendingsmog—smoke+fogmotel—motor+hotelbrunch—breakfast+lunchcamcorder—camera+recordercomsat—communication+satellitevideophone—video+telephoneE.AcronymsCBS—ColumbiaBroadcastingSystemISBN—InternationalStandardBookNumberIT—informationtechnologyCAD—computerassisteddesignWTO—WorldTradeOrganizationIDD—internationaldirectdialingAPEC[eipek]—AsianPacificEconomicCooperationAIDS[eidz]—AcquiredImmuneDeficiencySyndromeUNESCO[ju:nesk]—UnitedNationsEducationalScientificandCulturalOrganizationSARS[sa:s]—SevereAcuteRespiratorySyndromeCELEA[si:li]—ChinaEnglishLanguageEducationAssociation(web:elt-china.org)eftpos[eftps]—electronicfundstransferatthepointofsaleF.Back-formationediteditorhawkhawkerbegbeggarbaby-sitbaby-sitterbutchbutcherG.Functionalshiftnoun—verbverb—nounadjective—verbadjective—nountokneetobugtotapetobrakeaholdaflybyarejectaretreattocooltonarrowtodimtoslowadailyaChristiantherichtheimpossibleH.BorrowingOriginexamplesLatinbonus,education,exitGreektragedy,cycle,physicsScandinavianskirt,scorch,scatterFrenchprince,question,coupd’etatsalmon,appetite,dinner,supper,beef,pork,sardine,muttonSpanishranch,guitar,barbecueItalianbalcony,balloon,operaGermanbeer,waltz,quartsDutchfreight,pump,buoyChinesetea,kowtow,sampan(舢板)Russiansputnik,commissar,vodkaArabiczero,algebra,alcoholloanwordsWhoseoriginspeopleareunawareofceiling,judge,crimecourtface,jury,money,royalstomach,piano,squash,gluetableorthography,cockroach,solarchair,yacht,awkward,esteemloanwordswithsignsoftheirorigininthepluralformsfungus—fungimemorandum—memorandanebula—nebulaeradius—radiiloanwordswhichhavetakentheEnglishpluralstadium—stadiumscampus—campusesbandit—banditsopera—operasgymnasium—gymnasiums2.LossofwordsEvidenceoflossofwordsfromShakespeare’sworksbeseemtobesuitablewottoknowgyveafetterwhereforewhyCausesoflossofwords:discontinuationoftheobjects.e.g.soapflakes,washboard,(inChinese:洋油,洋火,洋钉)3.SemanticchangeA.WideningofmeaningExamplewordsOriginalmeaningWidenedmeaningholidayholyday(religioussignificanceanydaywedon’tworktailthetailofahorsethetailofanyanimalcompanionpersonwithwhomyousharebreadpersonwhoaccompaniesyouQuarantinefortydays’isolationisolationtimebirdyoungbirdanybirdsailboatswithsailsboatswithorwithoutsailsB.NarrowingofmeaningExamplewordsOriginalmeaningNarrowedmeaninghoundgeneraltermfor“dog”aspecialkindofdoggirlyoungpersonofeithersexyoungpeopleoffemalesexdeeranyanimalaparticularkindofanimalmeatfoodediblepartofananimalcorngrainaparticulargrainC.MeaningshiftingExamplewordsOriginalmeaningShiftedmeaninginnasmallhotelorpubcanbeawell-knownlargehotel(meaningelevated)niceignorantgood,finelustpleasurewithnonegativeorsexualovertonesaverystrongdesireeithersexualortopossesssomething(meaningelevated)immoralnotcustomarylivingorlastingforeversillyhappy/naivefoolishV.Somerecenttrends1.BecomingmoreinformalThistrendiswelcomedbypeople.2.InfluencecomingfromAmericanEnglish3.InfluencefromscienceandtechnologySpacetravelComputerandinternetlanguageEcologyVI.Causesoflanguagechange1.Rapiddevelopmentofscienceandtechnology2.Socialandpoliticalchanges3.Women’sliberationmovements4.Children’sgrammarisneverexactlylikethatoftheadultcommunity.5.Economyofmemory,grammarsimplificationpluralof“cow”is“cows”,insteadof“kine”pluralof“curriculum”is“curriculums”,in