Semantic

The word “hiss” is motivated by a certain similarity between the sound which makes it up, and those referred to by the sense: its phonetical motivation.

e.g. bang, buzz, giggle, gurgle, whistle, purr

In the word re-think we clearly see the idea of thinking again - morphological motivation. Its constituents ”re” and “think” are not motivated.

Semantic motivation is based on co-existence of direct and figurative meaning of the old sense and the new one within the same synchronic system.

e.g. “mouth” continues to denote a part of the human face and at the same time it can mean metaphorically any opening or outlet: the mouth of the river. In its direct meaning the word “mouth” is not motivated.

Semantic motivation is relative. When the connection between the phonetical and morphological structure of the word and its meaning is conventional and synchronously perceptive reason for the word having the phonemic shape and morphological composition it has is lost, the word is said to be non-motivated.

From the historical point of view motivation changes in the course of time. Words which are not motivated at present may have lost their motivation due to changes in the vocabulary.

It’s rather interesting to note that for words with not distinct motivation the speaking community tries to find its own explanation trying to restore the system which disappeared.

e.g. the explanation of the word cockney (East part of London born – уроженцы) and the language they use.

It is said that the word appeared because people of London had no notion of country life. So when one little Londoner got to the village and heard the horse, he cried: “The horse is barking“. He was corrected: “The horse is neighing”. Soon after that he cried out: “The cock neighs”. After that he was nicknamed: cockneys. The Oxford dictionary gives another explanation in which it is said that the word appeared out of Old English COXKEN – (петушиное яйцо) – so were little and disfigured eggs called. This name was used for spoilt children, - then Londoners, underlying their indelicacy. You can find a lot of examples in Russian and Ukrainian (of folk etymology).

Дата добавления: 2015-07-25