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1、1Changes of Word Meaning in English英语词义的演变英语词义的演变AbstractVocabulary is the most unstable element of a language as it is undergoing constant changes both in form and content. Comparatively, the content is even more unstable than the form. Of course, some meanings remain much the same for a long time
2、because the referents to which they direct us do not change. Often, an old form or group of forms are pressed into new service when a new linguistic need is felt. As Quirk asserts”almost every word we use today has a slightly different meaning from the one it had a century ago: and a century ago it
3、had a slightly different meaning form the one it had a century before that”.Language, as a tool for transmitting human ideas, is always changing with the development of society. Among linguistic aspects, the change of words is the fastest and most prominent, which is reflected on the creating neolog
4、ism, abandonment of its original meaning, borrowings and change of word meaning. Certainly, changing in word meaning has never ceased since the language came into being and it will continue in the future. This paper will discuss in some detail the major patterns and the causes of changes.(1978:130)K
5、ey words: word meaning; changes; cause; English; patterns; ways2摘摘 要要词的形式和内容总是处于变化之中，是语言中最不稳定的因素。不过相比之下，词的内容比形式更不稳定。当然有些词的意义在很长一段时间内由于所指未变而没有发生变化。有时，由于语言发展的需要，出现了旧词换新义的情况。Quirk 认为， “我们今天所使用的几乎每个词的词义都与一个世纪以前的词义有所不同；一个世纪以前的词义与前一个世纪的词有所不同。 ” （1918：130）人类社会一直在不断发展变化，语言作为人类表达思想和交流思想的工具也在不断发展变化。在语言诸要素中，词汇
6、的变化最快，最显著，它表面在新词的产生和旧词的消亡，借用外来词和旧词添新义。语言自产生以来其词义的变化从未停止，而且还会继续下去，本文将详细讨论词义变化的主要类型及其原因。关键词：关键词：词义；词义的变化；词义演变的原因；词义的种类；英语;方式3ContentsAbstract摘要摘要ContentsIntroduction1. Types of word meaning changes1.1 Extension1.2 Narrowing1.3 Elevation1.4 Degradation1.5 Transfer2. Causes of changes 2.1 Extra-linguist
7、ic factors2.2 Linguistic factorsConclusionBibliographyAcknowledgement4IntroductionThe objective things reflected in human brain create sensation, perception and representation, which are generalized and abstracted by people, thus, the concept is formed. People fix the concept with language form, whi
8、ch becomes the signs of communication. The process crests word meaning. In other words, word meaning is what the form stands for .1According to the field of word meaning change, word meaning can be divided to extension and narrowing. Extension means to cover a broader and less definite concept, and
9、narrowing refers to specialize the general sense. From the orientation of laudatory and derogatory meaning, word meaning develops into elevation and degradation. All the types of word meaning can be achieved in several ways. Besides the mentioned types, transfer is another type of word meaning chang
10、e. Word meaning transfers from the literal meaning to figurative meaning. In other words, class of word changes.It is known that word meaning changes due to many factors, such as social factors, linguistic factors. Usually, changes of word meaning are reflected in creating neologism, abandonment of
11、its original meaning, borrowings and change of word meaning. Further more, the changes will continue in the future.In short, type and cause of word meaning are important for us to master, and they will be dealt with details in this paper.51. Type of word meaning changesWord meaning changes by modes
12、of extension, narrowing, degradation, elevation and transfer. Of course, extension and narrowing are by far the most common.1.1 ExtensionExtension of meaning, also known as generalization, is the name given to the widening of meaning which some words undergo. Its a process by which a word which orig
13、inally had a specialized meaning has now become generalized. 2In other words, the term has extended to cover a broader and often less definite concept. A good example is the word “lady”, which now means people of female sex, but its original meaning was “a grandeur dame”. “Scenario” began with the m
14、eaning “the lot of an opera, film, etc.” But later it came to mean “a likely sequence of events.” Extension can be achieved in four ways.1) From the specific to the generalA large proportion of words of modern English have their meanings extended sometimes in the course of the development. Some words are generalized to such an extent that
