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大学本科毕业论文
题目：现代英语词汇迅速发展的原因探究
学生姓名： 学 号：
院 部： 外国语学院 专 业： 英 语 年 级：
指导教师
姓名及职称：
完成日期：
On the Reasons of Rapid Development of
English Vocabulary
A Thesis Submitted to School of Foreign Languages of
Xinjiang University of Finance and Economics in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts
By Li wei
Supervisor：Zhao Weili
May 23, 2008
Acknowledgements
The existence of this thesis owes much to Mrs.Zhao Weili.She has given me the most patient instructions during the busiest time she has ever had, and for the encouragements and trust she has placed on me.What’s more, I will extend my thanks to all of the leaders and teachers who have taught us during these four years in School of Foreign Languages and have supplied us with the most convenient faculties, which helps me to finish my first English thesis smoothly.In addition, I would like to thank all my enthusiastic clamates who have given me lots of advice and inspirations.Last but not least, my appreciation will go to the evaluation panel of theses that keep their close eyes to the development of our theses.Thanks a lot!
I
摘要
现代英语，尤其是现代英语词汇发展非常迅速。据统计,目前世界上英语的词汇量最大,现代英语词汇发展迅速的原因主要是随着科学技术的飞速发展，不断产生新兴学科，带来大量新的英语词汇。政治经济形势的千变万化、社会生活和世界局势的迅速发展和变化 , 需要不断的创造新的单词及词组来满足这些变化，因此英语词汇量在不断地发展扩大。英语词汇产生和发展的途径主要有创造全新单词、利用构词法产生新词、旧词新义和外来语的借入四个方面。学习者通过对英语词汇发展原因的了解可以进一步了解英语单词的结构 ,对理解记忆单词有所裨益,可以更好地掌握英语这门语言。关键词：词汇；本族语；外来词；构词法
II
Abstract
Modern English, especially modern English vocabulary, develops very quickly.The reasons for some changes are relatively obvious.For example, the rapid development of science and technology has led to the creation of many new words.In addition, the development of international trade and finance, social and political changes and political needs have supplied the English vocabulary with great quantities of new words and expreions.Furthermore, some social activities have brought about many new words.In order to suit this new situation, people have created numerous new words.The development of new English words depends chiefly on the channels of word creation, word formation, semantic changes and word borrowing.It is good for English learners to keep up with the development of English new words.Key Words: Vocabulary;native words, borrowed words, word formation.III
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………I Abstract(Chinese)………………………………………………………………………………II Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………III Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………IV Part One Introduction…………………………………………………………………………1 1.1 Research Background…………………………………………………………………1 1.2 Motivations and Objectives……………………………………………………………1 Part Two Reasons of Rapid Development of English Vocabulary…………………………2 2.1 The Influence of Science and Technology…………………………………2 2.2 The Influence of Politics ………………………………………………3 2.3 International Trade and Finance ………………………………………………4 2.4 Culture Factors and Changes of Social Fashion …………………………4 Part Three Methods of Vocabulary Development………………………………………… 5
3.1 Word Formation …………………………………………………………………… 5 3.2 Semantic Changes…………………………………………………………………… 6 3.3 Word Creation ……………………………………………………………………… 7 3.4 Word Borrowing …………………………………………………………………… 8 Part Four Conclusion………………………………………………………………………9 Notes………………………………………………………………………………10 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………11 IV
新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文
Part One Introduction
1.1 Research Background
Language is a mirror reflecting the culture of a society.With the development of the society, almost all living languages are in a state of continuous change.As one of the main communication languages in the world, English not only changes, but also changes quickly.The most active and apparent changes of English can be seen in its vocabulary.The English language has a vocabulary of more than 1million.The term vocabulary usually refers to a complete inventory of the words in a language.But it may also refer to the words and phrases used in the variants of a language, such as dialect, register, terminology, etc.① The English vocabulary is characterized by a mixture of native words and borrowed words.Since the Second World War, the English-speaking countries have experienced great changes in politics, economy, culture, education and other fields.Consequently, modern English has changed a lot, especially its vocabulary.1.2 Motivations and Objectives This article shows the main reasons of development on English vocabulary.The reasons for some changes are relatively obvious.For example, the rapid development of science and technology has led to the creation of many new words.In addition, the instability of the world situation and politics in different countries and political needs have supplied the English vocabulary with great quantities of new words and expreions.Furthermore, some social activities have brought about many new words.Last but not the least important, the development of international trade and finance have also added many new words to the English vocabulary.This all motivated me to explore more about the reasons of the rapid development of English vocabulary.In addition, the ways that English new words developed also arouse my interest.The development of English new words depends chiefly on the channels of word creation, word formation, semantic changes and word borrowing.I aim to better my English by studying reasons and ways of the development of new words.新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文
Part Two Reasons of the Development of New Words 2.1 The Influence of Science and Technology As science and technology develop, new words are used to expre new concepts, new techniques as well as new inventions.As they have developed more rapidly during the last 50 years, new words and expreions have been coined one after another.Space travel, more novel still than nuclear reactors 50 years ago, has many linguistic discoveries to make.Interestingly, there has been a tendency to coin nice simple words and phrases like: space suit, heat-shield, splash-down, linkup, moonscape, lunar, module, rendezvous, lunar rover, moon craft, space station, satellite, cosmonaut , moonquake, readout, black hole, lunar module, biological clock.②
The development of computer and internet technology has produced a new vocabulary of their own.For example, program-which has been adopted to denote a sequence of instructions fed into a computer and designed to solve a problem or attain a specific result.Input-which means data introduced into a computer worn external source.Output means proceed data or information transferred from the computer to an external device for storage or printing out or punching out.Emailan expert at programming and solving problems with a computer, also one who illegally gains acce to and sometimes tampers with information in a computer system especially using a home computer.Information highway means system of communication linking computer by fiber-optic cable.Internet, mouse, download, laptop computer, telecom have been used frequently in our daily life nowadays.In the late 20th century, science and technology have been developed very quickly, there were a lot of new courses, such as behavior science, psycholinguistics, cybernetics, and bionics.Ecology refers to the study of the relationship between plants, animals, people and their environment, and the balances between these relationships.③As more and more people are concerned with the preservation of the environment and natural resources, quite a lot of words have appeared in this regard.For example, eco-activist, ecocide, ecocatastrophe, ecoactivity, ecofreak, ecocrisis, visual pollution, noise pollution, graffiti pollution, eco-friendly, planet-friendly, environment-friendly.新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文
In addition, fax, laser printer，walkie-lookie, LCD screen, bullet train, containership, hovercraft, instant coffee, photocopier, overhead projector, ground zero, strobe light etc, we have not heard of those words 50 years ago, but now they have become common words.2.2 The Influence of Politics With the happening of world political affairs, many new words appeared.Fast development, simplification and vividne are the main characteristics.Political changes and political needs have supplied the English vocabulary with great quantities of new words and expreions: shuttle diplomacy(international negotiations conducted by a mediator who frequently flies back and forth between the negotiating parties), mini-summit, jungle war, Euro, hot line(a direct telephone line between two officials), hard-liner, kingmaker(an important person who can bring leaders to power through the exercise of political influence)to name just a few.Because the Soviet Union and the United States have long been opposed to each other, such words as cold war, arm race had come into play.Some presidents of the Western countries had carried out their specific policies, which also added to the English vocabulary.For example, Blairism, Bushism.④ The political disorder and confusion of the United States also contributed to the English vocabulary, such as sit-in(a form of civil disobedience in which demonstrators occupy seats and refuse to move), swim-in, teach-in(an extended seion as on a college campus for lectures and discuion on an important and usually controversial iue).In addition, hundreds of euphemisms have sprung up to cope with politically incorrect vocabulary.The factory fired workers become “downsizing”，and the workers without work become “layoff”.A person who is very short is called “vertically challenged”, and a mentally disabled person is called “mentally challenged”.Those are the so-called politically correct words.In 1972, the Watergate scandal happened in the United States, from then on, people began to call scandals with the suffixes “gate”.For example, recently, a famous Hong Kong superstar Edison Chen has been involved into nude picture scandal.A lot of nude pictures have been spread widely on the Internet.It was like a stone put into the quiet lake and it was quite thought-provoking.People call it “Racy Photogate”(艳照门).Furthermore, as more and more women have taken up activities formerly reserved for men, more neutral job titles have been created.The following are some examples that can be used for both genders, especially in the United States.Chairman-chairperson, chairwoman, foreman –
新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文
supervisor, policeman –police officer, fireman – fire fighter, jury foreman – jury foreperson.It reflects the feminism to some extent.2.3 The Development of International Trade and Finance
With the rapid booming of international trade and finance and the globalization, there are a lot of economic organizations, the English language has adopted many new words to fit the change.Some of them are famous worldwide.World Trade Organization, Organization of Petrol Exporting Countries.In order to fasten the economic connection among the countries, the European Union created Euro.In order to meet the needs of the modern economy, banking has been adopted Electronic Fund Transfer, at the mean time, users can withdraw money at the Automatic Teller Machine without the help of officers.It is very convenient.Many words related to economy have been used frequently, such as, siege economics, bear market, unit pricing, income gap, income inequality.In the English language, there are many ways to talk about “money”.For example, penny, quarter, dime, nickel, pound, exchange, draft, interest, pin money, change, currency, note, cash, check, bucks and coin.We care about the economic growth, the GDP and the GNP.2.4 Culture and the Changes of Social Fashion
In the rapid development of English vocabulary, the factors of culture can not be neglected.There are a lot of new words about education, such as: Open University, alternative school.The changing of teaching method has also brought about many new words.It has been changed from teacher-centered to students-centered.⑤
The entertainment also created many new words, call-in, hot line, talk show, daytime soap opera, and channel swimmer.There are many new programs in the field of sports, and has supplied the English vocabulary with great quantity of new words and expreions.Roller hockey, surf-riding, sky riding, to name just a few.By reason of contact with the outside world, or constant representation in fiction and the pre, some jargons of sports have risen in status and become part of standard speech.For example, play with(cooperate), straight from the shoulder(directly), behind the eight ball(in disadvantageous position).American labeled the young generation from the Hippies of 60s，to the Yapese of 70s，to the Yuppies of 80s, the lost generation after World War Ⅰ，to the beat generation after World War
新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文
Ⅱ.⑥
Part Three Methods of Vocabulary Development The development of English new words depends chiefly on the channels of word formation, semantic changes, word creation and word borrowing.To know the methods of the development of vocabulary also contributes to our knowledge of reasons of new English words.3.1 Word Formation
3.1.1 Affixation
The proce by which words are formed by adding affixes to a root is called affixation.English affixation can be divided into prefixes and suffixes.Affixes that come before the root are called prefixes;those that come after the root are called suffixes.Most prefixes when added to words, effect a change in meaning, but without converting one word-cla to another(Natural-unnatural, like-unlike).Some suffixes, when added to words, can transform one word-cla into another(laugh-laughable, willing-willingne).3.1.2 Conversion Conversion means using a form that represents one part of speech as another part of speech without changing the form of the word.In effect, a zero affix is added: for example, someone who can say “the lights gleam in the night”, uses “gleam” as a noun as in a sentence like “I can see the gleam in the night.” A similar proce may create verbs out of adjectives.The proce of creating new words without adding any affixes is also called zero derivation.3.1.3 Compounding Compounding is a proce of word-formation by which two independent words are put together to make one word.Words formed by compounding are called compounds.A compound occurs as an inseparable semantic unit that differs in meaning from a free phrase.For example, silence vows, an off-the-cuff opinion, round-the-clock discuion, the ahead-of-schedule general election, a break-in period, take-home pay(the pay left after deductions for taxes and dues and insurance etc), and a keep-fit cla, baby-sit(care for children, usually during a short absence of the parents), window-shop(look at displays of goods in store windows without entering the stores to buy anything).新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文
3.1.4 Back-formation Back-formation is a proce of word-formation by which a word is created by the deletion of a supposed affix.It is also known as a reverse derivation.This means that a derived form has preceded the word from which it is derived.Thus editor entered the language before edit, automation before automate, enthusiasm before enthuse.3.1.5 Abbreviation(1)Clipped words
Clipped words are those created by clipping part of a word, leaving only a piece of the old word.The shortening may occur at the beginning of the word, at the end of the word or at both ends of the word.Such as telephone-phone, helicopter-copter, modern-mod, profeional-pro, detective-tec, refrigerator-fridge.The clipped form is normally regarded as informal.(2)Initialisms Initialisms are words formed from the initial letters of words and pronounced as letters: IMF= International Monetary Fund, IOC = International Olympic Committee, COD= Cash on Delivery.(3)Acronyms
Acronyms are words formed from the initial letters of words and pronounced as words: NATO=North Atlantic Treaty Organization, SALT= Strategic Arms Limitation Talks.3.1.6 Blending Blending is to create a word by combining parts of other words.Words formed by blending are known as blends or portmanteaus.Blends originally occurred as humorous coinages.But with the paage of time, blending has become one of the important procees of word-formation and provided a considerable number of new words for contemporary English.For example, breakfast + lunch = brunch, twist + whirl =twirl, smoke + fog = smog, car +barbecue = carbecue.3.2 Semantic Changes
3.2.1 Generalization Generalization refers to the stretching of meaning.Most words begin as specific names for things.With the paage of time, this precise denotation is lost and the words meaning is extended, generalized, or blurred.For example, “picture” once meant only a painted picture, then
新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文
also a drawing, then a photograph, a TV picture, and now even a radio-telescope picture.3.2.2 Specialization Specialization means shrinking of meaning.When a word is equally applicable to a number of different objects which resemble each other in some respects, or to a vague or general category of ideas, it may at any moment become specialized by being used to name one of those objects or to expre one of those ideas.The old meaning of “artillery” was “munitions of war”.Today it means mounted guns.3.2.3 Elevation
Elevation means the meaning narrows toward a more favorable meaning.For example, “naughty” once meant wicked and depraved.Today, it means only mild mischief.“Mischief” itself once meant wicked behavior.Today it can apply to a merely naughty child.3.2.4 Degeneration
Degeneration means the meaning of a word narrows toward an unfavorable meaning.A “villain”, for example, was originally a man who worked on a farm or villa.Such a person was naturally felt by his social superiors to have a low sense of morality, and the word “villain”, at first a term implying no contempt, came to be a term of reproach.3.3 Word Creation
In English, some proper nouns suggest allusions which it tickles our fancy to remember.They may come from history or from literature differently.Examples of such nouns are: Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, a traitor or in particular, a false friend.Rip van winkle is the hero of Washington Irving’s famous book Sketch Book, now it refers to a man who falls far behind the world trend.Gatsby from The Great Gatsby of F.Scott Fitzgerald now refers to a rags-to-riches upstart.Shylock, a character in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, now means a mercile usurer, or in general, a money-grabber.⑦ Names of places are sometimes scarcely recognizable in the common nouns derived from them: currant from Corinth, millinery from Milan, Italy.Worsted is a town of Norfolk, England, which is famous for its wool, now we use worsted to refer to wool.Bourbon, a kind of strong liquor, is originally a town in Kentucky, the United States.3.4 Borrowed Words
新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文
The English vocabulary is characterized by a mixture of native words and borrowed words.Most of the native words are of Anglo-Saxon origin.They form the basic word stock of the English language.In the native stock we find words denoting the commonest things neceary for life, natural phenomena, and divisions of the year, parts of the body, animals, food stuffs, trees, fruits, human activity and other words denoting the most indispensable things, such as: wind, frost, snow, sun, spring, autumn, father, mother, son, daughter, apple, pear, dog, cat, red, white, green, go, come, run, work.Borrowed words, usually known as loan-words, refer to linguistic forms taken over by one language or dialect from another.The English vocabulary has replenished itself by continually taking over words from other languages over the centuries.The adoption of foreign words into the English language began even before the English came to England.We speak English, but we use words from at least 35foreign languages.Do you want proof? Read the next two sentences out loud: “Jane saw a baby squirrel outside the window.Although she was still wearing her cotton pajamas, she hurried outside to look at it.” You just spoke five languages.“Baby” comes from a Dutch word spelled the same way.“Squirrel” is French.“Cotton’ was first an Arabic word and “pajamas” was taken right from the Urdu language of India.You shouldn’t be surprised.By now there is hardly a language from which English has not borrowed something.⑧
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, with a growth of international trade and the urge to colonize and dominate the unknown world, English made a number of direct adoptions from languages spoken outside Europe.Since the end of the Second World War, still more loanwords have been incorporated into the English vocabulary.In the present century, it should be observed that English language has created many new words.Borrowed words or loan-words were found in almost every section of the English vocabulary: law, warfare, religion, architecture, finance, rank, clothing, food and many others.The cause of the development cannot be separated with politics, economics, religion and culture.Moreover, with the reform and open-up policy, China has connected with other countries in the world in almost every field: science and technology, food, international trade and so on.Thus many Chinese words have been incorporated into the English vocabulary, for example, Mao-tai, kung fu, taiji , tofu, litchi, jiaozi, typhoon, cheongsam, ketchup and so on.⑨
新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文
Eventually a natural conclusion comes into being.The borrowed words reflect the cultural links and enrich the English vocabulary so that it has become a more universal language.Part Four Conclusion
All in all, English is one of the most powerful languages in the world.The English language is dynamic.With the development of human society, it will never stop changing.At present, it seems that we are facing a new period of English vocabulary expansion.The main reasons are the development of science and technology and economy, the development of international trade and finance, the instability of the world situation and politics in different countries, and the change of social life.Besides, the English language is continually borrowing words from other languages.Although the English vocabulary has become larger and larger, it can be divided into four categories: word formation, semantic changes, word creation and borrowed words.Furthermore, acquainting ourselves with the cause and development of English new words is of great help for English learners to deepen the understanding of the English language.新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文
Notes: ①：陆国强.现代英语词汇学[M]，1999：303 ：陆国强.现代英语词汇学[M],1999：194 ：戴炜栋,何兆熊.新编简明英语语言学教程[M],上海外语教育出版社, 2002 ：杨自德.英语词汇的发展变化[J].山东临沂师范学院学报，2004-04-01 12-03 ：徐宗毅，罗杨.浅析英语新词出现的原因[J].西昌学院学报，2006-07-10 ：www.daodoc.com language tips ：叶蜚声,徐通锵.语言学纲要[M],北京大学出版社, 2002 ：Andrew Radford.Linguistics: An Introduction [M]，1999 ：朱和中等.英语外来语大辞典[M], 2003 ②③④⑤⑥⑦⑧⑨
新疆财经大学外国语学院本科毕业论文
Bibliography [1] Andrew Radford.Linguistics: an Introduction.Cambridge University Pre, 1999 [2] Ellis, Mark and Johnson, Christine.Teaching Busine English.Oxford University Pre &Shanghai Foreign Language Education Pre, 2000
[3] Hofstede.Culture Consequences.Sage publications, 1984 [4] 岑运强.语言学概论[M].中国人民大学出版社,2005 [5] 戴炜栋,何兆熊.新编简明英语语言学教程[M].上海外语教育出版社, 2002 [6] 陆国强.现代英语词汇学[M].上海外语教育出版社,1999 [7] 隋晓冰.现代英语词汇学概论[M].哈尔滨工程大学出版社, 2005 [8] 朱和中等.英语外来语大辞典[M].外文出版社, 2003 [9] 张鑫友.英语词汇学自学指南[M].中南大学出版社, 2002 [10] 叶蜚声,徐通锵.语言学纲要[M].北京大学出版社, 2002
