English Lexicology

3 Year, 6th Semester

rd

Practical class № 2
Polysemy. Causes, Nature, and Result of Semantic Change

Problems for Discussion

1. Polysemy and its types. The notion of lexico-semantic variant (LSV). Monosemantic words.
2. Linguistic and extralinguistic factors accounting for semantic change.
3. Types of linguistic causes: ellipsis, discrimination of synonyms, linguistic analogy.
4. Types of association involved in semantic change: metaphor and metonymy.
5. The result of semantic change in the denotative component of meaning:
a) restriction (narrowing), specialization of meaning;
b) extension, generalization, desemantization of meaning.
6. The result of semantic change in the connotative component of meaning:
a) degradation of meaning;
b) elevation (amelioration) of meaning.

Recommended Literature
1. Арнольд И.В. Лексикология современного английского языка / И.В. Арнольд; на англ.
яз. 3-е изд. М.: Высш. шк., 1986. P. 60–73.
2. Лексикология английского языка / Р.З. Гинзбург [и др.]; на англ. яз. 2-е изд., испр. и доп.
М.: Высш. шк., 1979. P. 29–33.
3. Харитончик З.А. Лексикология английского языка: Учеб. пособие. Минск: Вышэйшая
школа, 1992. С. 44–53.

Practical Assignment

1. Group together the following words according to the lexico-semantic variants (LSVs) they
represent. Use dictionaries if necessary. What context (lexical or grammatical) actualizes
the meaning in each case?

smart, adj.
You're looking very smart in your new clothes! stylish or elegant in dress or appearance
Smart kids get good grades and go off to college. - having or showing a high degree of
mental ability
He got a smart blow on the head. marked by often sharp, forceful activity or vigorous
strength
Virtual reality, ‘smart’ materials, biosensors have become an integral part of our life. using a built-
in microprocessor for automatic operation, for processing of data, or for
achieving greater versatility
We had dinner in one of the smartest restaurants. : appealing to sophisticated
tastes : characteristic of or patronized by fashionable society
Lexical context
golden, adj.
She received a golden ring as a present. consisting of, relating to, or containing gold
The girl has got beautiful golden hair.– blond
He wasted a golden opportunity when he missed from the penalty spot. of a high degree of
excellence : SUPERB
They celebrated golden wedding anniversary yesterday. of, relating to, or being a 50th
anniversary or its celebration
The 19th century is traditionally referred to as the "Golden Era" of Russian literature.
PROSPEROUS, FLOURISHING – lexical context

root, n.
These plants produce a number of thin roots.- he usually underground part of a seed plant
body
The love of money is the root of all evil. something that is an origin or source 
Jazz has its roots in the folk songs of the southern states of the US. one or more progenitors of
a group of descendants
Alex Haley's story about his search for his roots became a bestseller.-  close relationship with
an environment
The word 'coldness' is formed from the root 'cold' and the suffix 'ness' the simple element
inferred as the basis from which a word is derived by phonetic change or by
extension
2 is the fourth root of 16. -  quantity taken an indicated number of times as an equal
factor
– lexical context

2. Which of the following words are monosemantic (use a dictionary)?

abandon, abdicate, aphorism, apathy, application, arch, band, behold, , central, denture, divide,
measure, memorial, , prominent, promise, promote, prompt, sinecure, xenophobia.
Mono: bronchitis Definition of bronchitis
: acute or chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubesalso : a disease marked by
this
mischance
Definition of mischance
1: bad luck
Definition of xenophobia
: fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or
foreign
3. Explain the logical associations in the meanings of the same words in the following word
combinations. Define the type of association involved in semantic change:
1. A wing of a bird – a wing of a building – on wings of joy; metaphor – similarity of position
in space
2. an eye of a man – an eye of a needle; - metaphor. Similar form
3. the heart of a man – the heart of the matter; - similarity of position in space, metaphor
4. a hand of a man – a hand of a clock – a farm hand; - synechdoch
5. a foot of a man – the foot of a mountain; - metaphor – position in space
6. the coat of a girl – the coat of a dog; - metaphor
7. a star in the sky – a film star; - metaphor
8. a green leaf – green years – green with envy; - synesthesia.colour
9. warm weather – a warm welcome; - synesthesia - temparature
10. black shoes – black winter – black despair; - synesthesia.colour
11. the father of the family – the father of invention; - metaphor
12. glass – a glass; - Metonymy or contiguity of meanings:
13. Ford (proper name) – a Ford (car). Metonymy or contiguity of meanings:

4. The following are some of the different meanings of skirt(s) as adapted from the DCE
dictionary (Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman). What is likely to be the
prototypical meaning of the word? Point out which process of semantic development
(generalization, specialization) or which type of association (metaphor, metonymy) you
find in each of the cases. Give reasons for your answers.
skirt
a. A piece of outer clothing worn by women and girls which hangs down from the
waist – generalization, metonymy
b. The part of a dress or coat that hangs down from the waist - generalization
c. The flaps on a saddle that protect a rider’s legs – specialization - metonymy
d. A circular flap as around the base of a hovercraft – specialization - metaphor
e. A bit of skirt: an offensive expression meaning ‘an attractive woman’ – generalization
metaphor
f. Skirts of a forest, hill or village etc.: the outside edge of a forest etc – specialization
metaphor
g. A new road skirting the suburb – specialization, metaphor
h. He was skirting the issue – specialization, metaphor

5. Read the words’ stories and identify the results of their semantic development. These
results are:
a) generalization;
b) specialization;
c) elevation;
d) degradation.
1. The noun picture used to refer only to a representation made with paint. Today it can be a
photograph or a representation made with charcoal, pencil or any other means. generalization
2. The adjective nice – from the Latin nescius for "ignorant" – at various times before the current
definition became established meant "foolish", then "foolishly precise", then "pedantically
precise", then "precise in a good way" and then its current definition. Elevation
3. From 1550 to 1675 silly was very extensively used in the sense "deserving pity and
compassion, helpless". It is a derivative of the Middle English seely from the German selig,
meaning "happy, blissful, blessed, holy" as well as "punctual, observant of season". degradation
4. The verb kidnap has come into wide use in the meaning "to take a child away illegally and
usually by force, in order to demand especially money for their safe return". Now it implies any
person, not only a child. Generalization
5. Crafty, now a disparaging term, originally was a word of praise. Degradation
6. Target originally meant "a small round shield" but now it means "anything that is fired at" and
figuratively "any result aimed at". Generalization
7. Voyage in earlier English meant "a journey", as does the French voyage, but is now restricted
mostly to journeys by sea. Specialization
8. Butcher dates from the 13th century as a term denoting the person who prepared and cut up any
kind of meat. Previously it referred to a specialist in goat's meat, often salted because it was tough
– this fact indicates how low the consumption of beef had been in the Middle Ages.
Generalization