Polysemy.

Semantic Structure of the Word

and Semantic Change

315-GROUP
Rahimqulova Maftuna
Semantic Structure of Words

 semantic structure of a word – a

structured set of interrelated lexico-
semantic variants

 semantic structure of a word –

combination of various meanings
 Types of semantic components
Leading component – denotative component
(expresses the conceptual content of a word)

Additional component- connotative component

(gives more full picture of the meaning of a word)
 denotative component + connotative component

Lonely alone, without company

+ sad (emotive
connotation)

To glare to look
(connotation of
+ lastingly duration)

+ with anger (emotive)

To glance to look
+ briefly (duration)

To shiver to tremble
+ lastingly (duration)

+ with the cold (cause)

To shudder to tremble
+ briefly (duration)

+ with horror (emotive)

Types of Lexical Meanings as Elements
of a Word’s Semantic Structure
Primary : : secondary
basic : : minor
central : : peripheric
direct : : figurative
general : : particular
abstract : : concrete
neutral : : coloured
present day : : archaic
Semantic change

“HUSBAND”

 Old English – Modern English – “a

“a master of the man to whom a
house” woman is married”
Semantic Change
 development of a new meaning
 change of meaning

Causes of Semantic Change

 linguistic factor
 extra-linguistic (historical) factors
Extra-linguistic Causes
 various changes in the life of the speech
community
 changes in economic and social structures
 changes in culture, knowledge, technology, arts
 changes of ideas, scientific concepts, way of life

EX. pen penna (Latin) “feather of a bird”

Changes in Denotational Meaning
restriction of extension of
meanings meanings
(narrowing) – (widening) –
restriction of the application of the
types or referents word to wider variety
denoted by the word of referents

OE “hound” – a dog of any OE “trunk” – the main stem

greed of a tree
Mo E “hound” – a dog used Mo E “trunk” – the body of
in chase anything
Changes in Denotational Meaning

specialization - the generalization – the

word with a new word with the extended
meaning (restricted) meaning passes from the
comes to be used in the specialized vocabulary
specialized vocabulary into common use

OE glide -“to move gently OE “salary” – money given to

and smoothly” soldiers to buy salt with
Mo E “glide” -to fly with no Mo E “salary” – money paid
engine to clerks
Polysemy
 The ability of words to have more than one
meaning is described as polysemy

 A word having several meanings is called

polysemantic

 Words having only one meaning are called

monosemantic
(mainly scientific terms)
 Types of Contexts
 grammatical context –
where grammatical structure of the context serves
to determine various individual meanings of a
polysemantic word

EX to make
1)“to force, to induce” – make somebody do something
“make + smb+ bare infinitive”

2) “to become, to turn out to be” – make a good wife

make + adjective + noun
Types of Contexts
 lexical context – the group of words which fill the
grammatical pattern which forms the environment
of the analyzed word

EX.
heavy -”of great weight, weighty” – heavy load, heavy table

heavy + natural phenomenon = “striking, falling with force” –

heavy rain, heavy wind
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