chapter 6 Changes in Word Meaning

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Chapter 6 Changes in Word MeaningI. Choose the one that would best complete the statement and put the letter in the bracket.C 1. Of the modes of word-meaning changes, ______ are the most common.A. elevation and transferB. narrowing and degradationC. extension and narrowingD. degradation and transferD 2. Word-meaning changes by modes of the following except_______.A. generalizationB. transferC. narrowingD. clippingB 3. Extension of meaning are known as ________.A. elevationB. generalizationC. transferD. degradationA 4. Extension refers to the _______of meaning which some words undergo.A. wideningB. narrowingC. degradingD. specializingB 5. Degradation or pejoration of meaning is the opposite of semantic_______.A. extensionB. elevationC. transferD. narrowingC 6. A legal term “alibi” signifying “plea that the accused is not at the place when the crime iscommitted” now means “excuse”. This change of word-meaning is called ________.A. transferB. narrowingC. extensionD. degradationB 7. “A boor” was merely “a peasant” and now means “rude, ill-mannered person”, which belongsto ________of word-meaning.A. elevationB. degradationC. extensionD. narrowingC 8. The original meaning of “shrewd”is “evil”or “wickedness”while modern meaning is“clever”. This is _________of word-meaning.A. degradationB. extensionC. elevationD. transferC 9. The meanings of “lip” and “tongue” in “the lip of a wound” and “the tongue of a bell” haveexperienced_________.A. extensionB. elevationC. associated transferD. degradationD10. “Silly”meant “happy”in old English, but now it means “foolish”. This mode of word-meaning change is _________.A. elevationB. extensionC. transferD. degradationD 11. _________ is not the narrowing of word-meaning.A. A common word is turned into a proper noun.B. some phrases are shortened and only one element of the original is left to retain themeaning of wholeC. material nouns are used to refer to objects made of themD. A word of abstract meaning is used as a concrete meaningD 12. Linguistic factors of word-meaning change exclude_________.A. internal factors within the language systemB. the influx of borrowingC. analogyD. grammarD 13. Extra-linguistic factors of word-meaning change include________.A. historical and class reasonB. historical and psychological reasonC. psychological and class reasonD. all the aboveB 14. During American Civil War, the word “Copperhead”, a venomous snake in the South ofAmerica, was endowed the new meaning “the northerners who were secretly aiding andabetting the south” because of ________.A. class reasonB. psychological reasonC. historical reasonD. religious reasonC15. The so-called “King’s English” serves as a ________reason in word-meaning change.A. historicalB. culturalC. classD. psychologicalA16. Generalization is a a process by which a word that originally had a specialized meaning has now become ________.A. generalizedB. specializedC. elevatedD. degradedB 17. Degradation can be illustrated by the following example _______.A. lewd ignorantB. silly foolishC. last pleasureD. knave boyA 18. The four major modes of semantic change are _____.A. extension, narrowing, elevation and degradationB. extension, generalization, elevation and degradationC. extension, narrowing, specialization and degradationD. extension, elevation, amelioration and degradationII. Fill in the blanks according to first letter that has been given.1.The most common types of word-meaning changes are extension and n_________. (narrowing)2. Extension of meaning, also known as g________, is the name given to the widening of meaningwhich some words undergo. (generalization)3. The associated transfer of meaning and euphemistic use of words etc. are often due top_________. (psychological factors)4. Narrowing of meaning is the opposite of e_______meaning. (extension)5. Words which were uesd to designate one thing but later changed to mean something else haveexperienced the process of semantic t________. (transfer)6. Changes of word meaning are due to linguistic factors and e________factors. (extra-linguistic)7. Linguistic factors includes internal factors within the language system, the influx of borrowingsand a_________. (analogy)8. Match the words in Column A with those in Column B according to 1) changes inword-meaning; 2) types of word-meaning; 3) types of motivationA B1. grammatical meaning ( ) A. Scottish2. reading-lamp ( ) B. neither fish, flesh, nor fowl3. pen ( ) C. morphologically motivated4. alliteration ( ) D. head of a state5. difference in connotation ( )E. answer/respond6. elevation ( )F. etymologically motivated7. degradation ( )G. garage (a place for storing cars)8. narrowing ( )H. thing (any object or event)9. extension ( )I. part of speech10. Celtic ( )J. knave (a dishonest person)1. I2. C3. F4. B5. E6. D7. J8. G9. H 10. AIII. Decide whether the following statements are true or false.T 1.V ocabulary is the most unstable element of a language, for it is undergoing constant changes both in form and content.F 2. Altogether there are four types of changes in word-meaning.F 3. Degradation and elevation are by far the most common.F 4.The word “accident” originally means “event”, but now the meaning is “unfortunate event”.We conclude it undergoes degradation.T 5. Elevation refers to the process by which words rise from humble beginnings to positions of importance.T 6. Changing in word-meaning has never ceased since the language came into being and will continue in the future.F 7. The changes of word-meaning are only due to linguistic factors.IV. Analyze and comment on the following.For the word “picture”, its old meaning is “painting”, while its modern meanings are “paintings, drawings and photographs”. Analyze which type of change in meaning this belongs to. Why? Then list the types of the word-meaning changes.(1 ) Extension(2 ) Because the meanings of the word “picture” is widened.(3 ) Word-meaning changes types: extension, narrowing, degradation, elevation and transfer。