English historical semantics / Christian Kay and Kathryn Allan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kay, Christian.

Contributor:

Allan, Kathryn.

Series:

Edinburgh textbooks on the English language. Advanced

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

English language--Semantics, Historical.

English language.

Physical Description:

xi, 206 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm.

Place of Publication:

Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, c2015.

Summary:

Providing an ideal introduction to historical semantics, this book offers graduate students and advanced undergraduate students in linguistics and English Language an accessible overview of structural and cognitive approaches to English historical semantics. Focusing primarily on Lexical Semantics, the study of word meaning, the book looks at how these approaches help to answer two key questions in Historical Linguistics: how and why languages change. Considering changes both in the meanings of individual word forms and in larger areas of the lexicon, English Historical Semantics illustrates how data can be found and analysed, and explores how Lexical Semantics interacts with other areas of linguistics. In particular, the book describes in detail two of the most significant resources in this field: the Oxford English Dictionary and the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary. By using empirical data to study historical semantics, the book provides students with essential tools to investigate new words entering the language, and to study language change. With extended case studies including colour and kinship terms, suggestions for further reading, and exercises designed to stimulate reflection and test understanding, this textbook is an invaluable resource and practical guide designed to help students navigate this large and fascinating field. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Introduction 1

2 A brief history of the English lexicon 6

2.1 Introduction 6

2.2 Old English (OE: 700-1150) 7

2.3 Middle English (ME: 1150-1500) 10

2.4 Early Modern English (EModE: 1500-1750) 13

2.5 Late Modern English (LModE: 1750 to present day) 18

2.6 Conclusion: The present day 22

Exercises 22

Further reading 23

3 Categories of meaning 25

3.1 Introduction 25

3.2 Traditional approaches to Semantics 26

3.3 Categories and prototypes 37

3.4 Domains and frames 42

3.5 Conclusion 46

Exercises 46

Further reading 47

4 Tracing the development of individual words 49

4.1 Introduction 49

4.2 Introducing the OED 50

4.3 What the OED tells us 53

4.4 Some other historical dictionaries 64

4.5 Historical corpora 66

Exercises 68

Further reading 68

5 How and why words change meaning 70

5.1 Introduction 70

5.2 The significance of meaning change 70

5.3 Studying semantic change 72

5.4 The process of semantic change 74

5.5 Categories of meaning change 75

5.6 Grammaticalisation 82

5.7 Why do words change meaning? 83

5.8 Conclusion 89

Exercises 90

Further reading 90

6 Larger categories 92

6.1 Introduction 92

6.2 A brief history of thesauruses 93

6.3 The structure of thesauruses 95

6.4 Using HTOED 101

6.5 Conclusion 109

Exercises 110

Further reading 112

7 English colour terms: A case study / C. P. Biggam Biggam, C. P. 113

7.1 Introduction 113

7.2 How to describe colour 113

7.3 What are basic colour terms? 116

7.4 The evolution of basic colour categories 117

7.5 The development of colour terms in English 122

7.6 The changing nature of a basic category: BLUE 128

7.7 Summary 129

7.8 Conclusion 129

Exercises 130

Further reading 130

8 Language and culture 132

8.1 Introduction 132

8.2 Linguistics and anthropology 134

8.3 Pronouns of address 135

8.4 Kinship 137

8.5 Time 143

8.6 Conclusion 147

Exercises 148

Further reading 149

9 Metaphor and metonymy 150

9.1 Introduction 150

9.2 Metaphor in language and thought 150

9.3 Another kind of mapping: Metonymy 155

9.4 Metaphor and motivation 159

9.5 Metonymy and motivation 164

9.6 Conclusion 166

Exercises 168

Further reading 169

10 The big picture and a look ahead 170

10.1 Introduction 170

10.2 The big picture 170

10.3 Great as an example 171

10.4 Looking ahead 173.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 191-199) and index.

ISBN:

0748644776

9780748644773

OCLC:

920866770