Introduction to Old and Middle English: Part I Historical semantics January 13, 2006 Andreas H. Jucker

Definition  “Historical semantics... traces the change in meaning of individual words, and it tries to systematise and categorise the types of meaning changes. It describes the ways in which the entire vocabulary of a language changes. How does a language expand its vocabulary? To what extent does it use its own resources to create new words, and to what extent does it borrow words from other languages and how are they integrated?” Jucker (2000: 111)

The aims of historical semantics  How do speakers use the meaning potential of words and expressions to communicate – new ideas – established ideas in a striking manner – ideas in a persuasive manner  What are the consequences of such usages for the development of words and expressions? Fritz 1998: 4

Three levels of categorization  Communicative situation of innovation  Communicative resources of innovation  Results of semantic change

Communicative situations of innovation  Why does a language introduce new words and new meaning?  Or rather:  Why do speakers of a language use new words or old words with new meanings?  How do other speakers pick up these innovations?

New need  mouse  percolate

Deviant interpretation  desiccated coconut – ‘dehydrated’ --> ‘shredded, flaked’

New knowledge  carriage  car – 1382 WYCLIF Isa. lxvi. 16 His foure horsid carresWYCLIF

Increased/decresed frequency  absolute How absolute the knave is!

Communicative situations of innovation  Novel use of an existing word to solve a communicative need, e.g. percolate in linguistics  Unplanned unorthodox use of an existing word  Deviant interpretation of a word leading to novel use  New knowledge leads to novel use (car ‘carriage’ > ‘motorised vehicle’)  Rare use of an existing word is used more often  A specific use of a word is no longer used (restriction of the meaning potential) Fritz 1998: 41, 42

Communicative resources for innovations 1  Metaphorical use – window, ruler, desktop, memory (for computers)  Metonymic use – all hands on deck, our native tongue, the press  Euphemistic use – be sick ‘vomit’, wash my hands, smell ‘stench’  Ironic use – a fine fellow  Implicature – since (temporal) > since (causal) – e.g. Since he moved, he has been doing even better. Fritz 1998: 43-53

Communicative resources for innovations 2  Extension of application – will (volition > future)  Extension to new domains (scientific, religious, popular, etc.) – egocentric, dino  Elliptical use – dailies (< daily newspaper)  Parallel patterns, e.g. loan translations – schlanke Verwaltung (lean management)  Reanalysis – desiccated coconut (‘dried’ > ‘shredded’) Fritz 1998: 43-53

Change of meaning  Habitual modification, among a comparatively large number of speakers, of the traditional semantic range of the word, which results from the use of the word – to denote one or more referents which it has not previously denoted, or – to express a novel manner of apprehending one or more of its referents. (Stern 1931/1975: 163, quoted by Welte 1993: 142).

Results of semantic change  Broadening, Extension  Narrowing, Restriction  Shift  Elevation  Degeneration + - Source: Welte 1993: 143