英语词汇学 Unit 04 Word meaning

EnglishLexicologyUnit4WordMeaningContentsThemeaningofwordsThemotivationofwords词的理据ClassificationofwordmeaningsAnalysisofwordmeaningsThemeaningofwordsWhatis“meaning”?philosophy,logic,linguisticsWhatis“semanticmeaning”?SentencemeaningandwordmeaningWhatis“wordmeaning”?ThreeconceptionsofwordmeaningSemantictriangleWhatis“meaning”?Aneasyquestion,buthardtoanswer.一个有意义的活动意义=value,purpose,importanceWhatisthemeaningofthisword?meaning=theideaorsensethatthewordrepresentsThemeaningof“meaning”couldbeexploredfromtheaspectsofphilosophy,logic,linguistics,etc,withdifferentaims.Differencebetweenlinguisticstudyandotherstudieson‘meaning’Thelinguisticapproachaimstostudythepropertiesofmeaninginasystematicandobjectiveway,withreferencetoaswidearangeofutterancesandlanguagesaspossible,thusbroaderinscope.Logiciansandphilosophershavetendedtoconcentrateonarestrictedrangeofsentences(typically,statements,or‘propositions’)withinasinglelanguage.Ogden&Richards1923,MeaningofMeaningJohnmeanstowrite.——“intends”（意图）Agreenlightmeansgo.——“indicates”（表述）Healthmeanseverything.——“hasimportance”（重要性）Hislookswasfullofmeaning.——“specialimportance”（特别强调）Whatisthemeaningoflife?——“point,purpose”（观点、意图）Whatdoes“capitalist”meantoyou?——“convey”（传递）Whatdoes“cornes”mean?（“眼角膜”）——“referringtointherealworld”（现实所指）Whatis“semanticmeaning”?Inbroadsense,semanticmeaningrepresentsman’smindandthought.Innarrowsense,semanticmeaningreferstowordmeaningorsentencemeaning.Sentencemeanings1)Histypewriterhasbadintentions.Anomalous2)Myunmarriedsisterismarriedtoabachelor.Contradictory3)Johnwaslookingfortheglasses.Ambiguous4)A.Theneedleistooshort.B.Theneedleisnotlongenough.SynonymousWhatis“wordmeaning”?Wordmeaningisreferentialmeaning.Wordmeaningsarewhatwesoughtandwhatshouldbeprovidedincomprehensivedictionariesofalanguage.(p.67)Threeconceptionsofwordmeaning1．词(words)→事物(things)Wordsnameorrefertothings.(Platonic)2．词(words)→概念(concepts)→事物(things)：词义三角(Semantictriangle)Ogden&Richards3．刺激(stimuli)—词语(words)—反应(responses)Bloomfield布龙菲尔德SemantictriangleSemantictriangle(Ogden&Richards)Themotivationofwords词的理据Howdowordsgetmeaning?ConventionalityandMotivationOnomatopoeicmotivationMorphologicmotivationSemanticmotivationEtymologicmotivationAnalogicalMotivationHowdowordsgetmeaning?ConventionalityMostEnglishwordsareconventional,arbitrarysymbols.Thereisnoconnectionbetweenthewordformanditsmeaning.MotivationSomeEnglishwordsaremotivatedsymbols.Thereissomeconnectionbetweenthewordformanditsmeaning.Conventionalitydom(Russion)fangzi(Chinese)maison(French)house(English)casa(Spanish)Arbitrary(任意的):youcanuseawordtomeananything,andthethingbecomesthemeaningofthewordbyconventionality.Onomatopoeicmotivation拟声Wordsmotivatedphoneticallyarecalledechoicoronomatopoeicwords,whosepronunciationsuggeststhemeaning.Theyshowacloserelationofsoundandmeaning.Manyonomatopoeicwordsimitatenaturalsounds.OnomatopoeicwordsmiaowwoofQuackhissMoreOnomatopoeicwordsApesgibber.BearsgrowlBullsbellowCatsmew(purr)Eaglesscream.Frogscroak.Goatsbleat.Assesbray.Beetlesdrone.Camelsgrunt.Ducksquack.Fliesbuzz.Geesecackle(gabble).Horsesneigh(snort).Morphologicmotivation形态Morphologicmotivationmeansthatthemeaningofsomewordscanbeinferredfromthemeaningoftheaffixes,roots,orotherpartsofthewords.teacher=teach(action)+-er(actor)airmail=mailbyairCaution:blackmarket≠marketwithblackcolour(blackmarket:①Theillegalbusinessofbuyingorsellinggoodsorcurrencyinviolationofrestrictionssuchaspricecontrolsorrationing.②Aplacewheretheseillegaloperationsarecarriedon.)Semanticmotivation语义Itreferstothementalassociationssuggestedbytheconceptualmeaningofaword.Itexplainstheconnectionbetweentheliteralsenseandfigurativesenseoftheword.Metonymy(借代)Synecdoche(提喻)Metonymy(借代)1)useaperson’snametorefertothethingsrelatedHereadShakespeare.2)useacontainertorefertowhatisinsideThekettleisboiling3)usepartofbodyorganstorefertotheirfunctionsDon’tletyourheartruleyourhead.4)usetheplacenametorefertotheproductproducedthere.Icoulddowithacupofcanary.(Canaryisaplacewherethiskindofwineisproduce.)5.UseprominentfeaturestorefertothepersonconcernedTheblueeyeswalkedintotheroom.Synecdoche(提喻)Afigureofspeechinwhichapartisusedforthewhole(ashandforsailor),thewholeforapart(asthelawforpoliceofficer),thespecificforthegeneral(ascutthroatforassassin),thegeneralforthespecific(asthiefforpickpocket),orthematerialforthethingmadefromit(assteelforsword).Etymologicmotivation词源Theoriginsofwordsthrowlightontheirmeanings.Allthewordscommonizedfrompropernamescanbeexplainedintermsoftheirorigins.专有名词普通化pen(origin:feather)walkman(origin:abrandofthisdevice)火车(origin:火车开动时火车头在冒烟并排放蒸汽，表示这种车要有“火”)MotivationbyanalogyWordsarecreatedinimitationofotherwordstelethon,talkathon:frommarathonColouranalogyblacklist,whitelist,graylistNumberanalogyFirstfamily,firstlady,theFourthworldPlaceandspaceanalogylandscape:moonscape,marscapesurnrise:earthrise;earthquake:starquakeClassificationofwordmeanings--GeoffreyN.Leechconceptualmeaning概念意义connotativemeaning内涵意义