Polysemy in Modern English

B) Changes in connotational meaning

"Degeneration" of meaning:

Degradation (pejoration) is a semantic process in which _____________________________________________________________________________________________. It is a transfer of the meaning when it becomes ________ in the course of time. It is usually connected with nouns denoting common people, e.g. villain, knave, Gossip.

These examples show that the second meaning, in contrast with the one from which it developed, denotes a person of bad repute or character. Semantically speaking, the second meaning developed a negative evaluative connotation which was absent in the first meaning.

"Elevation" of meaning:

Elevation (amelioration) is a semantic process in which _____________________________________________________________________________________________.

It is a transfer of the meaning when it becomes ___________ in the course of time, e.g. knight ”_______________________________________________________________; „ marshal________________________________________________________________.

Thus, "degeneration" (or "degradation") of meaning is the process whereby a word falls into disre­pute. The process known as "elevation" is the oppo­site of "__________________". Words often rise from humble beginnings to positions of greater importance by having lost negative evaluative connotations. A word having several meanings is called ____________________. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ is described by the term polysemy.

There are two levels of the analysis of the semantic structure of English polysemantic words:

- the semantic structure of the word is treated as the system of meanings: fire – flame, an instance of destructive burning (forest fire), burning material in a stove (fireplace), the shooting of guns, strong feeling, passion.

- semantic structure of the word is divisible not only at level of different meanings but at deeper level.

There are 2 approaches to polysemy:

· diachronic

· synchronic

If polysemy is approached diachronically it is understood as ___________________

________________________________________________________________________

If polysemy is approached synchronically it is understood as ________________________________ ____of the same word at a certain historical period of the development of English.

Polysemy exists in ____________ not in __________. In ___________ polysemantic word actualizes only one of its meanings. Other meanings of it can be found in different context.

There are two ways of development of the meaning of polysemantic words in English. They are radiation and concatenation (means семантическая цепь).

____________is the semantic process in which the primary meaning (the earliest and the original meaning) of a polysemantic word stands in the centre and secondary meanings develop from it like rays. Ex. face _____________ is the semantic process in which the primary meaning gives rise to the first secondary meaning and the first secondary meaning gives rise to the second and so on in turn. Ex. style

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