Semantic Change. Metaphor. Metonomy. Hyperbole. Litotes. Simile

Summary

This educational script delves into the fascinating world of semantic change, focusing on the concepts of narrowing and widening of word meanings. It provides historical examples, such as 'meat' evolving from a general term for food to its current reference to edible flesh. The script also explores figures of speech like metaphor, metonymy, hyperbole, and litotes, illustrating their use in language to convey deeper or altered meanings. Through examples and explanations, it offers insights into how language evolves and the rhetorical devices that enrich our communication.

Takeaways

• 😀 Semantic change is an inevitable part of language development, affecting the meaning of words over time.
• 🔍 Two primary types of semantic change are narrowing (specialization) and widening (generalization) of word meanings.
• 📚 The word 'meat' exemplifies narrowing, evolving from meaning 'food' in Old English to 'edible flesh' in Modern English.
• 🌐 'Disease' originally meant 'discomfort' but now specifically refers to 'illness', showing how meanings can become more specific.
• 👰 The term 'wife' has narrowed from its original meaning of 'woman' due to the addition of descriptive terms.
• 📈 'Fly' demonstrates widening, as it transitioned from 'moving through the air with wings' to a more abstract concept of 'moving quickly'.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The word 'sister' in Ukrainian has widened to include various familial relations like 'parents' sister' or 'wife of parents' brother'.
• 🌟 Metaphors and similes are figures of speech that involve the comparison of one thing to another, with metaphors being more implicit.
• 🏆 Metonymy is a figure of speech where a word is replaced by something closely associated with it, often an attribute or a part of a whole.
• 🎈 Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally, used to express strong emotions or for dramatic effect.
• 🤐 Litotes, or understatement, conveys a positive meaning by negating its contrary, often used in English to soften statements or show politeness.
• 🤗 Euphemism is the substitution of a word or phrase with a milder or more pleasant term, often to avoid offense or express delicacy.

Q & A

What is semantic change?

Semantic change refers to the alterations in the meaning of words over time, which is an inevitable part of language development.

What are the two most important types of semantic change mentioned in the script?

The two most important types of semantic change mentioned are narrowing and widening.

Can you provide an example of semantic narrowing from the script?

An example of semantic narrowing is the word 'meat' in Old English, which meant 'food' and in Modern English, it has narrowed to mean 'edible flesh'.

How is the meaning of 'woman' an example of semantic narrowing?

In the script, 'woman' is an example of semantic narrowing because it originally meant 'female person' and now it specifically refers to 'a married woman'.

What is the difference between metaphor and simile as discussed in the script?

A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares one thing to another without using 'like' or 'as', while a simile explicitly uses 'like' or 'as' to make the comparison.

What is metonymy and how does it relate to semantic change?

Metonymy is a figure of speech where a word or phrase is replaced by another closely related word or phrase to represent it. It relates to semantic change as it involves a shift in meaning based on contextual associations.

Can you give an example of hyperbole from the script?

An example of hyperbole from the script is 'I almost died from laughter', which is an exaggerated statement to express that something was very funny, not literally dying.

What is the purpose of using understatement in language as described in the script?

Understatement is used in language to convey a positive meaning by negating its contrary, often to soften the impact of a statement or to avoid offending someone.

How does the script explain the use of euphemisms?

The script explains that euphemisms are used to replace words or phrases with milder terms to make sentences sound less offensive or harsh, while preserving the original meaning.

What is the significance of the semantic change from 'holiday' to 'any day off' as mentioned in the script?

The change from 'holiday' meaning 'holy day' to 'any day off' illustrates the process of widening, where the original, more specific meaning expands to a broader, more general meaning.

How does the script differentiate between the narrowing and widening of word meanings?

The script differentiates between narrowing and widening by showing that narrowing involves adding descriptors to make the meaning more specific, while widening allows the word to take on a more general or abstract meaning.