Лексикология английского языка

I. “Degeneration” of meaning.

Knave: boy >swindler, scoundrel

Gossip: god parent > the one who tells slanderous stories about other people
These examples show that the second meaning, in contrast with the one from which it developed, denotes a person of bad repute or character. The second meaning developed a negative evaluative connotation which was absent in the first meaning.

The same process can be observed in other parts of speech, and not only in nouns.

E.g. Silly: happy > foolish
II. “Elevation” of meaning.

Fond: foolish > loving, affectionate

Nice: foolish > fine, good

In these two cases the situation is reversed: the first meaning has a negative evaluative connotation, and the second meaning has not.

Answer these questions.

1. 
   What causes the development of new meanings? Give examples.
   
2. 
   What is the basis of development or change of meaning? Explain what we mean by the term transference.
   
3. 
   What types of transference can you name?
   
4. 
   What is meant by the widening and the narrowing of meaning?
   
5. 
   Give exanples of the so-called “degradation” and “elevation” of meaning.