Semasiology

Outline

Semasiology: definition and its principal task

Polysemy.

8.3 Homonyms: 8.3a Definition

8.3b Traditional classification

8.3c Smirnitsky’s classification

8.3dPatterned homonyms

8.3e Sources of homonymy

8.3f Homonymy vs polysemy

Paronyms.

Semasiology: definiton

Semasiology is a branch of semantics that studies meaning in the direction from the linguistic form to its meaning / meanings. The principal task of semasiology is to explain the meanings designated by word sound forms and to show the difference between these meanings.

Semasiology studies

· polysemy,

· homonymy and

· paronymy.

Polysemy

A word having several meanings is called polysemantic. The ability of words to have more than one meaning is polysemy. Most English words are polysemantic.

The wealth of expressive resources of a language largely depends on the degree to which polysemy has developed in the language. The process of enriching the vocabulary does not consist merely in adding new words to it, but, also, in the constant development of polysemy.

The system of meanings of any polysemantic word develops gradually, mostly over the centuries, as more and more new meanings are either added to old ones, or oust some of them. So the complicated processes of polysemy development involve both the appearance of new meanings and the loss of old ones.

When analyzing the semantic structure of a polysemantic word, it is necessary to distinguish between two levels of analysis. On the first level, the semantic structure of a word is treated as a system of meanings.

E. g. In the system of meanings of the adjective dull it ishard to find a generalized meaning covering and holding together the rest of the semantic structure.