Evaluative connotation in the semantic structure

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF UKRAINE

Kyiv National Linguistic University

 

 

 

 

Project Work

in Comparative Lexicology of the English and Ukrainian Languages

 

EVALUATIVE CONNOTATION IN THE SEMANTIC

STRUCTURE OF UKRAINIAN WORDS

 

Yana Chernyuk

Group 307

Translators’/Interpreters’ Department

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research supervisor:

V.G. Nikonova

Professor, Doctor of Philology

 

 

 

 

Kyiv 2013

 

 

THEORETICAL FOUNDATION OF THE PROBLEM

 

Semasiology, the branch of linguistics concerned with the meaning of words and words equivalents. I’m going to tell you about one of the types of lexical meaning of the words (one of the main objects of semasiological study) - evaluative connotation.

Proceeding with the semantic analysis we observe that lexical meaning is not homogenous either and may analysed as including denotational and connotational components.

The denotative component of lexical meaning expressed the conceptual content of a word. Fulfilling the nominative and the communicative functions of the word, it is present in every word and may be regarded as the central factor in the functional language. To denote is to serve as a linguistic expression for a concept or as a name for an individual object. It is the denotational meaning that makes communication possible. For example: when we say стіл, стілець, ліжко, книга etc.  we don’t imagine its design, creator, year and so on, we imagine only what they denote: стіл – people can sit in front of it, книга – people can read it and see pictures.

But, we are speaking about connotation and its evaluation. The term "connotation" gets its first linguistic status in the writings of L. Bloomfield (American linguist). If the denotative meaning exists by virtue of what the word refers to, connotative is the pragmatic communicative value the word receives by virtue of where, when, how, by whom, for what purpose and in what context it is or may be used. It can be demonstrated on the same examples: книга – type (vocabulary, science book or another one), size (small, large), old or new etc.

The orientation toward the subject-matter, characteristic, as we have seen, of the denotative meaning, is substituted here by pragmatic orientation toward speaker or listener; it is not so much what is spoken about as the attitude to it that matters.

There are four types of connotation: stylistic, emotional, evaluative and expressive or intensifying.

So, evaluation offers a way to determine whether an initiative has been worthwhile in terms of delivering what was intended and expected. Evaluative connotation is about the speaker’s expresses approval or disapproval of the object spoken. It can be positive/neutral/ negative.

Making use of the same procedure of comparing elements of a synonymic group, one compares the words чародійство, відьмацтво and мольфарство, all originally denoting art and power of controlling events by occult supernatural means, but чаклунство as compared to its synonyms will have glamorous attractive connotation, while other two, on the contrary, have rather sinister associations. Another example: вітер – expresses neutral meaning but its synonyms like буревій, вітрище and бриз, легіт – express negative and positive meanings. In sentence «Після цунамі було зруйновано майже всю частину західного узбережжя.» word цунамі has negative connotation. In the sentence “В місті нараховується більше 2000 екзотичних видів тварин” word екзотичних has positive connotation. 

Key words and expressions from the text:

1. Semasiology – семантика, наука про значення слова
2. Semantic analys – семантичний аналіз
3. Denotative – визначальний, вказівний
4. Nominative function – називна функція
5. Virtue – дія, ефект
6. Connotative – конотативний, той, що викликає асоціацію
7. Subject-matter – предмет
8. Orientation – орієнтація, направленість
9. To determine – визначати  
10. Approval – схвалення, одобрення
11. Disapproval – несхвалення, осуд

INTERPRETATION OF THE TEXT

Exercise 1. Match the definitions with the terms:

1) semasiology	a) to serve as a linguistic expression for a concept or as a name for an individual object.
2) to denote	b) offers a way to determine whether an initiative has been worthwhile in terms of delivering what was intended and expected.
3) connotation	c) speaker’s approval or disapproval.
4) evaluation	d) the branch of linguistics concerned with the meaning of words and words equivalents.
5) evaluative connotation	e) is the pragmatic communicative value the word receives by virtue of where, when, how, by whom, for what purpose and in what context it is or may be used.

1. – d)  3) – e)  5) – c) 
2. – a)   4) – b) 

Exercise 2. Match the terms with the definitions:

 

1)  It exists by virtue of what the word refers to.	a) Semasiology.
2) Expressed the conceptual content of a word.	b) Denotational meaning.
3)It makes communication possible.	c) Evaluative connotation.
4) Speaker’s approval or disapproval.	d) Denotative component.
5) The branch of linguistics concerned with the meaning of words and words equivalents.	e) Denotative meaning.

Keys:

1. – e)       2) – d)       3) – b)      4) – c)     5) – a)

Exercise 3. Choose right or wrong statements:

 

1. Semasiology is the brunch of etymology.
2. Lexical meaning of the words is one of the main objects of etymology study.
3. Lexical meaning is not homogenous either and may analysed as including denotational and connotational components.
4. The denotative component of lexical meaning expressed the conceptual content of a word.
5. To denote is to serve as a linguistic expression for a concept or as a name for unordinary objects.
6. The term “connotation” gets its first etymological status in the writings of L. Bloomfield.

 

Keys:

1. Wrong
2. Wrong
3. Right
4. Right
5. Wrong
6. Wrong

 

Exercise 4. Insert the words missing in the text:

Virtue   denotational   to express    to denote    connotation  functions    imagine    communicative to demonstrate

 

The denotative component of lexical meaning(1)_______ the conceptual content of a word. Fulfilling the nominative and the communicative(2)_______ of the word, it is present in every word and may be regarded as the central factor in the functional language. (3)_______ is to serve as a linguistic expression for a concept or as a name for an individual object. It is the(4)_________ meaning that makes communication possible. For example: when we say стіл, стілець, ліжко, книга etc.  we don’t imagine its design, creator, year and so on, we (5)_______ only what they denote: стіл – people can sit in front of it, книга – people can read it and see pictures.

But, we are speaking about (6)_______ and its evaluation. The term "connotation" gets its first linguistic status in the writings of L. Bloomfield (American linguist). If the denotative meaning exists by (7)______ of what the word refers to, connotative is the pragmatic (8)_______ value the word receives by virtue of where, when, how, by whom, for what purpose and in what context it is or may be used. It can (9)_________ on the same examples: книга – type (vocabulary, science book or another one), size (small, large), old or new etc.

Keys:

1. to express  6) connotation
2. functions   7) virtue
3. to denote             8) communicative
4. denotational  9) to be demonstrated
5. imagine

 

Exercise 5. Answer the questions:

1. What is semasiology?
2. Is lexical meaning homogenous? Why?
3. What does the denotative component of lexical meaning express?
4. Who first gave linguistic status to the term “connotation”?
5. How many types does the connotation include?
6. What does the evaluation offer?
7. What is evaluative connotation?

 

PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENTS

Exercise 1. Insert words with negative/neutral/positive connotation into the sentences below:

вітерець	базікати	метелиця	автомобіль
бриз	мольфарки	відьми	полум’я

 

1. _________ виїхав на поле.
2. Він міг _______годинами.
3. ________добре знають свою справу.
4. В Середньовіччі всіх гарних жінок вважали ________.
5. За вікном ________веселиться, то поплигає, то причаїться.
6. Дорога біла стелиться, і краю їй нема, сніжок мете, ________. Прийшла до нас зима.
7. Червоні язики _______ одне за одним заковтували пожовкле листя.
8. Легкий ______ приніс на побережжя довгоочікувану прохолоду.

 

Keys:

1. Автомобіль  3) мольфарки        5) вітерець           7) полум’я
2. Базікати       4) відьмами           6)метелиця  8) бриз

 

Exercise 2. Read the sentence below. Identify the words that have negative connotation.

 

1) Бедфорд жахливий сусід, але ж оренда в цьому домі найнижча.

2) А Соцький, він свиня пиката, нехай минає  мою хату.

3) Якась собака винишпорила, що в листі друковане, і мене кличуть до пошти.

4) Йому довелось коротати свої дні в землянці.

5) Я чалапав серед замислених колосів жита, що хилилися з тихим шепотінням і кланялися землі, сонцю і людині.

 

Keys:

1) жахливий  4) землянці  

2) пиката            5) чалапав   

3) винишпорює 

Exercise 3. Write the words into three columns: 1) positive connotation;2)neutral;3) negative.

Святодійство, бовкати, говорити, матінка, рачкувати, лазити, мікроорганізм, бацила, ціль, дощик, мішень, мета, книга, прокламація, дрімати, бриз, летючка, ніс, дощ, нюхало, вітерець, гарний, величний.

Keys:

Positive connotation	Negative connotation	Neutral connotation
святодійство	Бовкати	Мовити
Матінка	Рачкувати	Лазити
Ціль	Бацила	Мікроорганізм
Дощик	Мішень	Мета
Дрімати	Прокламація	Книга
Бриз	Летючка	Ніс
Вітерець	Нюхало	Дощ
Гарний
Величний
Exercise 4. Combine negative connotation with its neutral one.     Negative Neutral 1)помело a)таємничий 2)потерпати b)магія 3)ляпати(язиком) c)папір 4)мачуха d)говорити 5)потойбічний e)віник 6)чалапати f)уболівати 7)згасати g)йти 8)писанина h)мати 9)вітрище i)вітер 10)відьмування j)меркнути

 

 

Keys:

1. - e)           2) - f)          3) - d)          4) - h)          5) - a)

      6) - g)           7) - j)          8) - c)          9) - i)          10) - b)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE LITERATURE USED

 

1. Arnold I.V. The English Word. – М.: Высшая школа, 1986. – 295 с.
2. Ganetska L.V. Lexi-Maker: Modern English Lexicology in Tables, Figures, and Exercises. – К.: Ленвіт, 2004. – 96 с.
3. Ginsburg R.S. and others. A Course in Modern English Lexicology. – М.: Высшая школа, 1979. – 269 c.
4. I.Г. Аніксеєнко, Л.Ф. Бойцан, Л.В. Ганецька Практикум з курсу лексикології англ.  мови для студентів ІІІ курсу. – К., КДЛУ, 1999. – 72с.
5. Деркач П.М. Короткий словник синонімів укр..  мови. – Львів-Краків-Париж: Просвіта, 1993. – 208с.