How Words Change Meaning

Author : Sol Steinmetz
Publisher : Random House Reference
Page : 290 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2009-02-04
Category : Reference
ISBN : 9780307497789

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Semantic Antics by Sol Steinmetz Pdf

"My favorite popular word book of the year" -William Safire, NY Times 6/22/2008 A fun, new approach to examining etymology! Many common English words started out with an entirely different meaning than the one we know today. For example: The word adamant came into English around 855 C.E. as a synonym for 'diamond,' very different from today's meaning of the word: "utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion." Before the year 1200, the word silly meant "blessed," and was derived from Old English saelig, meaning "happy." This word went through several incarnations before adopting today's meaning: "stupid or foolish." In Semantic Antics, lexicographer Sol Steinmetz takes readers on an in-depth, fascinating journey to learn how hundreds of words have evolved from their first meaning to the meanings used today.

Author : Antoine Meillet
Publisher : Independently Published
Page : 66 pages
File Size : 52,9 Mb
Release : 2018-12-05
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1790816009

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How Words Change Meaning by Antoine Meillet Pdf

The language has for first condition the existence of human societies which it is his side constantly used and essential instrument; except historical accident, the limits of the various languages tend to coincide with those of social groups called nations; the lack of unity of language is the sign of a recent State, as in Belgium, or artificially constituted, as in Austria. The language is so eminently a social fact. Indeed, it exactly fits the definition proposed Durkheim; a language exists independently of the individuals who speak it, and although it has no reality outside the sum of these individuals, it is however, due to its generality, external to each of them; which shows, is that it does not depend on any of them to change and deviation individual usage causes a reaction. This reaction has no more often than other sanction than the ridicule to which she exposes the man who does not like everyone else. But in modern civilized States, she goes up to exclude public jobs, by reviews, those who do not comply with the use allowed by a given social group. The characters of exteriority to the individual and coercion by which Durkheim defined the social fact appear in the language with the last evidence.

Author : Gustaf Stern
Publisher : Greenwood
Page : 488 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 1975
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : UVA:X000129436

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Meaning and Change of Meaning by Gustaf Stern Pdf

The bases for the author's semantic theory include a study of the historical development of word meanings, links in developmental processes, and the various explanations of the facts of a language. The book includes discussions of the function of language, the definition of verbal meaning, and the production and comprehension of speech.

Author : Rita Finkbeiner,Jörg Meibauer,Heike Wiese
Publisher : John Benjamins Publishing Company
Page : 357 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 2016-03-31
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9789027267368

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Pejoration by Rita Finkbeiner,Jörg Meibauer,Heike Wiese Pdf

Though “pejoration” is an important notion for linguistic analysis and theory, there is still a lack of theoretical understanding and sound descriptive analysis. In this timely collection, the phenomenon of pejoration is studied from a number of angles. It contains studies from phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics, and deals with diverse languages and their variants. The collection will appeal to all those linguists with a genuine interest in locating pejoration at the grammar-pragmatics interface.

Author : Sally McConnell-Ginet
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 339 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2020-08-27
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9781108427210

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Words Matter by Sally McConnell-Ginet Pdf

Featuring current and historical concrete examples and minimising technical vocabulary, Words Matter is for all interested in examining ideas about language and its connections to social conflict and change. Accessible to general readers, the book will also be useful in linguistics, philosophy, anthropology, or other classes featuring language.

Author : Paul Bloom
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 324 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2002-01-25
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 0262523299

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How Children Learn the Meanings of Words by Paul Bloom Pdf

How do children learn that the word "dog" refers not to all four-legged animals, and not just to Ralph, but to all members of a particular species? How do they learn the meanings of verbs like "think," adjectives like "good," and words for abstract entities such as "mortgage" and "story"? The acquisition of word meaning is one of the fundamental issues in the study of mind. According to Paul Bloom, children learn words through sophisticated cognitive abilities that exist for other purposes. These include the ability to infer others' intentions, the ability to acquire concepts, an appreciation of syntactic structure, and certain general learning and memory abilities. Although other researchers have associated word learning with some of these capacities, Bloom is the first to show how a complete explanation requires all of them. The acquisition of even simple nouns requires rich conceptual, social, and linguistic capacities interacting in complex ways. This book requires no background in psychology or linguistics and is written in a clear, engaging style. Topics include the effects of language on spatial reasoning, the origin of essentialist beliefs, and the young child's understanding of representational art. The book should appeal to general readers interested in language and cognition as well as to researchers in the field.

Author : David Crystal
Publisher : Penguin UK
Page : 715 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2007-03-29
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9780141911731

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How Language Works by David Crystal Pdf

In this fascinating survey of everything from how sounds become speech to how names work, David Crystal answers every question you might ever have had about the nuts and bolts of language in his usual highly illuminating way. Along the way we find out about eyebrow flashes, whistling languages, how parents teach their children to speak, how politeness travels across languages and how the way we talk show not just how old we are but where we’re from and even who we want to be.

Author : Anatoly Liberman
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2009-04-13
Category : Reference
ISBN : 9780199889013

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Word Origins And How We Know Them by Anatoly Liberman Pdf

Written in a funny, charming, and conversational style, Word Origins is the first book to offer a thorough investigation of the history and the science of etymology, making this little-known field accessible to everyone interested in the history of words. Anatoly Liberman, an internationally acclaimed etymologist, takes the reader by the hand and explains the many ways that English words can be made, and the many ways in which etymologists try to unearth the origins of words. Every chapter is packed with dozens of examples of proven word histories, used to illustrate the correct ways to trace the origins of words as well as some of the egregiously bad ways to trace them. He not only tells the known origins of hundreds of words, but also shows how their origins were determined. And along the way, the reader is treated to a wealth of fascinating word facts. Did they once have bells in a belfry? No, the original meaning of belfry was siege tower. Are the words isle and island, raven and ravenous, or pan and pantry related etymologically? No, though they look strikingly similar, these words came to English via different routes. Partly a history, partly a how-to, and completely entertaining, Word Origins invites readers behind the scenes to watch an etymologist at work.

Author : Kate Woodford,Guy Jackson
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 1550 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2003
Category : Foreign Language Study
ISBN : 0521824230

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Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary by Kate Woodford,Guy Jackson Pdf

The Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary is the ideal dictionary for advanced EFL/ESL learners. Easy to use and with a great CD-ROM - the perfect learner's dictionary for exam success. First published as the Cambridge International Dictionary of English, this new edition has been completely updated and redesigned. - References to over 170,000 words, phrases and examples explained in clear and natural English - All the important new words that have come into the language (e.g. dirty bomb, lairy, 9/11, clickable) - Over 200 'Common Learner Error' notes, based on the Cambridge Learner Corpus from Cambridge ESOL exams Plus, on the CD-ROM: - SMART thesaurus - lets you find all the words with the same meaning - QUICKfind - automatically looks up words while you are working on-screen - SUPERwrite - tools for advanced writing, giving help with grammar and collocation - Hear and practise all the words.

Author : Richard Hudson
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 116 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2003-09-02
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9781134885602

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Word Meaning by Richard Hudson Pdf

In Word Meaning, Richard Hudson introduces readers to the techniques of lexical semantic analysis. Word Meaning: * is based on a problem-solving approach to language * introduces readers to the technical terminology and basic principles associated with the analysis of word meaning * shows students how to apply these terms and principles to English * includes suggestions for further work

Author : GUSTAF. STERN
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2018
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1033265217

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MEANING AND CHANGE OF MEANING by GUSTAF. STERN Pdf

Author : Kate Burridge,Alexander Bergs
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 314 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2016-11-03
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9781315463001

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Understanding Language Change by Kate Burridge,Alexander Bergs Pdf

2 Changes to the lexicon -- Introduction -- 2.1 Gaining words - lexical addition -- 2.1.1 Compounding -- 2.1.2 Affixation -- 2.1.3 Backformation -- 2.1.4 Conversion -- 2.1.5 Abbreviation -- 2.1.6 Acronyms -- 2.1.7 Blending -- 2.1.8 Commonization -- 2.1.9 Reduplication -- 2.1.10 Borrowing -- 2.1.11 Sound symbolism -- 2.1.12 A final word on the processes -- 2.2 Losing words - lexical mortality -- 2.2.1 Obsolescence -- 2.2.2 "Verbicide"--2.2.3 Reduction -- 2.2.4 Intolerable homonymy -- 2.3 Etymology - study of the origin of words -- Summary -- Further reading -- Exercises

Author : Howard Jackson
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 219 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2014-06-03
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9781317887560

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Words and Their Meaning by Howard Jackson Pdf

In this book, the development of the English dictionary is examined, along with the kinds of dictionary available, the range of information they contain, factors affecting their usage, and public attitudes towards them. As well as an descriptive analysis of word meaning, the author considers whether a thematic, thesaurus-like presentation might be more suited than the traditional alphabetical format to the description of words and their meaning.

Author : John A. Simpson
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 40,7 Mb
Release : 2002-04-18
Category : Reference
ISBN : 0195218892

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Oxford English Dictionary by John A. Simpson Pdf

The Oxford English Dictionary is the internationally recognized authority on the evolution of the English language from 1150 to the present day. The Dictionary defines over 500,000 words, making it an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, pronunciation, and history of the English language. This new upgrade version of The Oxford English Dictionary Second Edition on CD-ROM offers unparalleled access to the world's most important reference work for the English language. The text of this version has been augmented with the inclusion of the Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series (Volumes 1-3), published in 1993 and 1997, the Bibliography to the Second Edition, and other ancillary material. System requirements: PC with minimum 200 MHz Pentium-class processor; 32 MB RAM (64 MB recommended); 16-speed CD-ROM drive (32-speed recommended); Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 200, or XP (Local administrator rights are required to install and open the OED for the first time on a PC running Windows NT 4 and to install and run the OED on Windows 2000 and XP); 1.1 GB hard disk space to run the OED from the CD-ROM and 1.7 GB to install the CD-ROM to the hard disk: SVGA monitor: 800 x 600 pixels: 16-bit (64k, high color) setting recommended. Please note: for the upgrade, installation requires the use of the OED CD-ROM v2.0.

Author : Joe Moran
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 319 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2017-02-21
Category : History
ISBN : 9780300227956

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Shrinking Violets by Joe Moran Pdf

The author of Armchair Nation and On Roads examines shyness in a“sparkling cultural history rang[ing]from Jane Austen to Silicon Valley” (The Guardian). Shyness is a pervasive human trait: even most extroverts know what it is like to stand tongue-tied at the fringe of an unfamiliar group or flush with embarrassment at being the unwelcome center of attention. And yet the cultural history of shyness has remained largely unwritten—until now. With incisiveness, passion, and humor, Joe Moran offers an eclectic and original exploration of what it means to be a “shrinking violet.” Along the way, he provides a collective biography of shyness through portraits of such shy individuals as Charles Darwin, Charles Schulz, Garrison Keillor, and Agatha Christie, among many others. In their stories often both heartbreaking and inspiring and through the myriad ways scientists and thinkers have tried to explain and “cure” shyness, Moran finds hope. To be shy, he decides, is not simply a burden; it is also a gift, a different way of seeing the world that can be both enriching and inspiring. “Fantastic and involving . . . [A] feat of empathy. Every page radiates understanding; every paragraph, its (shy) author’s gentle wit.”—The Observer “Whether you’re boldly outgoing or reticent and self-effacing, you’ll find something to inspire, inform, or surprise in this thoughtful, beautifully written, and vividly detailed cultural history.”—Susan Cain, New York Times bestselling author of Quiet