Основы теории английского языка. Листунова Е.И. - 8 стр.

Trace the semantic development of these words and explain how they
could have acquired their present meanings.
      bend, v — OE bendan = bind, fetter; strain
      bird, n — OE brid = nestling, fledgling
      book, n — OE bōc = beech (cf. Russ. áóê)
      camp, n — OE camp = battle, struggle, contest (cf. Lat. cam-
pus, ïîëå, ïîëå áèòâû)
      cheap, a — OE cēap, n = cattle; price; bargain
      deal, v — OE dælan = share; distribute; take part
      deer, n — OE dēor = animal, beast (cf. Ger. Tier)
      dwell, v — OE dwellan = lead astray; deceive; make a mistake
      fair, a — OE fæçer = beautiful; pretty, sweet
      fear, re — OE fær = sudden attack, danger (cf. verb fâran =
frighten)
      fowl, n — OE fuçol = bird
      lord, n — OE hlāford = master (cf. hlãfweard = bread-keeper)
      silly, a — OE sæliç = happy, blessed, holy.
      IIIb.
      The word junk was originally a sailors’ word meaning ‘old rope’,
now it means ‘rubbish, useless stuff — this is an example of extension
of meaning. The word meat originally meant ‘food’, now it means
one special type of food — this is an example of narrowing of mean-
ing. Consult dictionaries and establish what kind of semantic change
was involved in the development of the words.
      1) To starve (original meaning ‘to die’); 2) gambit (chess: ‘an
opening in which White offers a pawn-sacrifice’); 3) to disci pline
(originally ‘provide disci pline, train, control’); 4) to refute (original-
ly ‘disprove, confute’); 5) fowl (originally ‘bird’); 6) bird (originally
‘a young bird’); 7) deer (originally ‘beast’).
       IV.
       Read the following passage and give other examples to illustrate
the point.
       ...Most changes take place because society changes — either in
its attitude to life or in its formal institutions. ‘Parliament’ does not
mean for us what it meant in the Middle Ages, because the institu-
tion which is the referent of the word has changed radically. Hamlet,
talking about actors, refers to the ‘humorous man’ — not the comedi-
an, but the emotional actor: the old theory of humours (the primary
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