Chapter 6:Sense Relations

6.1 Polysemy

六班：吴熳 朱凤玲 刘恋

Polysemy=poly + semy prefixation

Poly: many

e.g. polygamy, polyglot (multilingual)

polysyllable

polygon (pentagon)

Words:

When first coined: monosemic

Development: same symbol, many senses

Meaning of “take”• take • 带 (去 ), 携带• She went out of the room, taking the flowers with her.• 她带着花走出了房间。• 拿 , 取 , 抓• Who has taken my pen?• 谁把我的钢笔拿走了 ?• 需要 ; 花费• The flight took two hours.• 这一飞行花了两小时。• 学习 ; 教• She plans to take a course in mathematics.• 她打算学习数学课程。• 取得 , 接受 , 容纳• John takes second place in the race.• 约翰获得赛跑亚军。• 买下 ; 租用

• We're taking a house in Devon for a month.• 我们打算在德文郡租间房子住一个月。• 吃 , 喝 , 服• Will you take a cup of tea?• 你要喝一杯茶吗 ?• 乘车 , 上船• Because it was wet, he took a taxi.• 因为天下雨 , 所以他搭乘了出租车。• 测定 , 量 ; 拍• The nurse took the patient's temperature.• 护士为病人量了体温。• vi.• 产生预期效果• The dye took immediately.• 马上着色了。• vt. & vi.• 上钩• The fish is taking.• 鱼要上钩了。• n.• 捕获量 ; 收入额• Take has lagged behind the increased outgo.• 收入赶不上增加的支出。• 电影镜头• We had a talk between takes.• 在拍摄镜头的间隙 , 我们谈了一次话。

Diachronic approach

Synchronic approach

Approaches

to

Polysemy

Diachronic approach

•

• in a historical perspective

• growth, development of the same word.

• Monosemic polysemous derived

One meaning (primary meaning)

• screen • 屏风 , 帘 , 纱窗• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.• 这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。• 掩护物• They hid behind the screen of bushes.• 他们躲在灌木丛后。• 屏幕• You can see him on the TV screen quite often.• 你可以经常从电视屏幕上见到他。• 银幕 ; 荧光屏• She first appeared on the screen ten years ago.• 十年前 , 她第一次出现在银幕上。

Why little to do with the first meaning?

How are the later senses obtained?

• Extension: 江 , 河 长江 , 黄河• Narrowing:

• Analogy: face of the clock

• Transfer: neck

Old words die out: Obsolete, disappear

New words are added

Existing words change their meaning

• Derived meaning all come from the first one.

Primary meaning replaced by new meanings

E.g. Maid

1. Female servant especially in a large house

2. (old use) a woman or a girl who is not married

Have a guess!

1.They are regarded by all good wives far and near as perfect barometers.

2. Robin Hood and his merry men hated the rich and loved and protected the poor.

Synchronic Approach

Various meanings same word

In a historical period

• Basic meaning

(central meaning)

• Secondary meanings

(not in importance)

• Face

• The front of the head• The expression of the countenance• A surface of a thing• The side or surface that is marked, as of a clock, playing card, domino, etc.• The appearance; outward aspect; resemblance• Dignity; self-respect; prestige, as in lose/save face• The topography (of an area)• The functional and striking surface (of a tool, golf club, etc.)• (colloq) effrontery; audacity• What is shown by the language of a document, without explanation and

addition• (Mining) the end of a tunnel, drift, etc. where work is being done.• (typography) the type surface on which a letter is cut

• cache • [kæʃ]• n.• 藏物处• Police discovered a cache of weapons in the roo

m.• 警方在房间里发现了一批隐藏的武器。• 藏匿的珍宝• 高速缓冲存储器

Processes of Development

Radiation

Concatenation

Radiation—Wheels

Independent ， can be traced back to the

original meaning.

• Neck

• That part of man or animal joining the head to the body

• That part of the garment• The neck of an animal used as food, e.g. neck of

lamb• A narrow part between the head and body or

base of any object• The narrowest part of anything: bottle, land,

strait or channel

Concatenation— Chains

Meaning shift

Chains missing

• Candidate

• White-robed

• Office seeker in white gowns

• A person who seeks an office

• a person proposed for a place, award, etc.

Radiation and Concatenation

• Closely related

• Different stages

• R before C