Semantic change
Meaning changes in various ways
Semantic change
• Metaphorical Extension is a very important
process of semantic change
Metaphorical Extension
• 道dao traveling
→ a route
→ a channel
→ a way
→ doctrine, politics
→ a religious philosophy
Metaphorical Extension
• 封 feng1 grant of land
→ seal
→ envelope
→ Classifier
Metaphorical Extension
• One or more semantic features are
extended such that the word is applied to
a wholly new context
Metaphorical Extension
• foot ‘body part’ → base of a mountain, bed,
stairs, etc.
• broadcast ‘throw seeds out broadly’→ send out
TV, radio waves
• homerun (baseball) → (football ) touchdown →
a big success
• hail mary ‘a prayer’ → a long pass for a
touchdown at the end of a half or game
• prayer → a shot with little chance to go in
• ace ‘highest card’ → to get an A on a test
Metaphorical Extension
nuclear weapon/s
→ [via clipping] nuke/s (N)
→ [via functional shift] nuke (V) ‘destroy
with nuclear weapons’
→ ‘to microwave’ as in nuke some
popcorn
Metaphorical extension
• Metaphorical extension is probably the
primary means of vocabulary expansion
Reduction
• Applies to a smaller circle of meaning
hund ‘all dogs’ → hound; specific breed
(dog < docga took over as general word)
corn ‘grains’ (usually referred to principle
crop in a region) → maize
meat ‘all food’ → animal flesh
Elevation
• Applies to a higher value of meaning
knight ‘youth’ → honorable rank’
squire ‘attendant’ → gentleman;
landowner
Degradation
• Applies to a lower value of meaning
lust ‘enjoyment, pleasure’ → sinful
pleasure (usu.) of sexual nature
lewd ‘of laity, not clerical’ → ignorant →
base → obscene
wench ‘female child, servant’ → lewd
woman
mistress ‘woman in authority, ownership’
→ a woman kept by a (usu. married) man
Change in circumstances
hall ‘large room in a castle or building’
→ corridor
crescent ‘increasing’
→ shape of moon in 1st Quarter
→ a shape, as in a crescent roll