一词多义现象和认知理论

一词多义是一种普遍现象,指一个词语有多种不同却具有互相联系的意义。传统的语义理论并没有把握多义现象的全部和本质,未能对此现象做出充分的解释。认知理论认为多义现象的形成是人类通过认知手段(如隐喻、换喻)由一个词的中心意义或基本意义向其他意义延伸的过程,是人类认知范畴和概念化的结果。认知语言学理论对多义结构的分析和解释对英语词汇教学有重要的启发意义。

Polysemy and Cognitive Linguistic Theory

Polysemy,a pervasive phenomenon,is the association of two or more related senses(meanings) with a single linguistic form.Previous semantic theories,which could not grasp the nature of polysemy,failed to account adequately for its formation.Cognitive linguistic theory argues that the formation of polysemious structures is a process of meaning extension from the primary meaning to other more or less discrete,though related meanings via cognitive device,like metaphors,and that it is the result of cognitive categorization and conceptualization.The analysis and explanation of polysemy in terms of cognitive theory provides illuminating effect on English vocabu-lary teaching.