A Study Of Semantic Broadening In Aspect Of Return Effect

The extension of word meaning, which is put forward by Hermann Paul, aGerman linguist, is a common language phenomenon in language evolution. Fro mthen on, although many scholars have talked a lot about the topic, there still remainsome problems to be solved. How is the relationship between the meaning of wordand the extension of its reference? Is it the extension of word meaning if its scope ofreference covers more things than before? What is it if the meaning goes from thespecific to the general? To answer these problems, this thesis discusses theclassification of the extension of word meaning and applies Return Effect whenexplaining the internal reasons of semantic broadening. It has been so long since toomuch scholars gave definition of the extension of meaning in several aspects. And thetext will explain semantic broadening in two aspects, which are the extension of thescope of a word and semantic extension. That is to say, one is under which condition,the extension of scope of a word can be defined as semantic broadening. The other isexplaining several conditions of semantic extension. What emphasis here is thatdenotation and connotation are used in this text?Return Effect reveals inner reason and mechanism of semantic broadening.Return Effect in this text means semantic elements is analyzed into several elementsnaturally, and these elements will return to relative constituents. The principle ofReturn is trying to returning constituent’s semantic element fully. But the Returncourse may lead to loss of semantic elements, for the semantic elements ofconstituents are uncertain to appear in the sense of compound word. The ReturnEffect concludes two methods which are Antonym-as-Head and Hypernym-as-Head.The loss of semantic elements above mentioned makes plenty of words be pushed tothe hyperonymic node, which causes semantic broadening. There are lots of wordspushed to hyperonemic node, some words even experience several push, over andover again, which results in semantic broadening. Not only does this text apply theReturn Effect, but also makes modification.