Лексичні та синтактико-стилістичні зміни в сучасній англійській мові: вплив комп’ютерних технологій

Adaptation to special purposes

Many scholars have researched change of word meaning. There are various logical and psychological classifications of its types. Traditional classification is the following:

1)extension of meaning (generalization)

E.g.: hard drive (originally meant only heavy traffic on city roads, now also refers to slow work of a computer);

2)narrowing of meaning (specialization)E.g.: garage (once meant any safe place, now means specifically a building for housing automobiles);

3)transference of meaning (metaphor and metonymy)

E.g.: He is such a bear ; Black coats walked along the street.

4)Elevation of meaning (amelioration)

E.g.: «minister (now means an important public official, but in earlier times meant merely servant)

(Rayevska : 149)

5)Degradation of meaning (perjoration)

E.g.: vulgar (originally meant happy)

Semantic extension is one of the most important ways of enlarging the vocabulary.

1.2.Stylistic Classification of the English Word-stock

«The word-stock of any language must be presented a system, the elements of which are interconnected, interrelated, and yet independent.»

(Galperin : 70)

Problems connected with vocabulary are so varied that it is difficult for many scholars to refer every given word to a certain subsystem of English word-stock.

Stylistically, the English language may be divided into three main layers:

Literary layer;

Neutral layer;

Colloquial layer.

Neutral layer of English vocabulary is the most stable one. The use of it is unrestricted. It can be employed in any sphere of human activity.

«The literary layer of words consists of groups accepted as legitimate members of the English vocabulary. They have no local or dialectal character.

The colloquial layer of words is not infrequently limited to a definite language locality where it circulates.»

(Rayevska : 72)