对于meaning的理解论文篇一：英语词汇学论文Meaning_changes_in_EnglishOntheChangeinWordMeaning1.IntroductionWiththeflyingdevelopmentofhumansociety,languagesastoolsforpeopletoexpressandcommunicatetheirideaschangesconstantlyandfrequently.Whilevocabularyisthemostunstableelementoflanguageasitisundergoingconstantchangesbothincontentandform.Ofcourse,somemeaningsremainmuchthesameforalongtimebecausethereferentstowhichtheydirectusdonotchange.Frequently,anoldformorwordsarepressedintonewservicewhenanewlinguisticneedisfelt.Whenawordlosesitsoldmeaningandcomestorefertosomethingdifferent,theresultisachangeinwordmeaning.Changeofmeaningreferstothealternationofthemeaningofexistingwords,aswellastheadditionofnewmeaningtoaparticularword.2.Typesofmeaningchanges2.1ExtensionofMeaningItisaprocessbywhichawordwhichoriginallyhadaspecializedmeaninghasnowbecomegeneralizedorhasextendedtocoverabroaderandoftenlessdefiniteconcept.Forexample,?lady”originallymeanshostess(womenofhouse)whileitspresentmeaningisanywomeninpoliteway.Suchassaleslady、cleaninglady、ladies?room.Salarywas(Original)asumofmoneygiventoRomansoldierstoenablethemtobuysalt;andis(present)fixedpaymentmadebyemployeratregularintervalstoemployees.ExtensionofMeaningisnotonlyusedinnonebutalsoincludedverb、adjectiveandsoon.Forexample,“carry”originallymeans“transportbycart”(averb).butnowitisjustmeans“tansport”.theadjective“bullish”originalfrombullmarket(causingorassociatedwithariseinprise),andnowtheword?smeaningextendedto“optimistic”.2.2NarrowingofMeaningItisaprocessbywhichawordofwidemeaningacquiresanarroworspecializedsense.Inotherwords,awordwhichusedtohaveamoregeneralsensebecomesrestrictedinitsapplicationandconveysaspecialconceptinpresent-dayEnglish.Thefollowingchartprovidesusdefinitedemonstration.Inaword,bothextensionandnarrowingofmeaningaretalkingaboutthechangesinconceptualmeaning.Nextwewilltalkaboutthechangesinassociativemeaning.2.3ElevationofMeaningElevationistheprocessbywhichwordsrisefromhumblebeginningstopositionsofimportance.Elevationofmeaningisoneofthetend