Research on Polysemy in Medical English—from the Perspective of Metonymy论文
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最后更新时间:2024-04-05
Abstract： Polysemy is one of the basic peculiarities of human speech， and it is common in medical English. However， the study on it did not receive its due attention. The paper will attempt to explore how word meanings in medical English are extended from the perspective of metonymy.
Key words： polysemy； metonymy； medical English
Introduction
The study of polysemy has a long history in the philosophy of language， linguistics， psychology and literature. However， polysemy in medical English is not easy for students to remember and doesn’t get due attention.
I. Polysemy
Polysemy is one of the basic peculiarities of human speech， which represents paradigmatic economy： minimizing the number of word forms by giving them several meanings. Polysemy which reflects the characters of economy and flexibility of languages， is an advantage， not a defect of languages （Shu Dingfang， 2000a）. The paper will attempt to explore how word meanings in medical English are extended from the perspective of metonymy
II. Research on Polysemy in Medical English from the Perspective of Metonymy
Metonymy is a cognitive process of using one entity to refer to another that is related to it. It is a mapping of conceptual domain， the source， onto another domain， the target. Both source and target domains belong to the same functional domain. They are linked by a pragmatic function and the target can be mentally activated by the source.
If a doctor says， the heart valve surgery is very common， the expression valve is used to refer to the part of an organ or tube in your body that opens and closes to keep liquid flowing in the right direction. However， the core meaning of valve is the part of a machine or piece of equipment that opens and closes in order to control the flow of air of liquid. It is obvious the medical meaning of valve is similar to the common meaning of valve. Let’s see more words in the following table.
Take cataract for example， the word cataract stems from the Greek word for waterfall， because prior to the 1700s， people believed that cataracts were comprised of an opaque material flowing， like a waterfall， into the eye. In fact， the whitish appearance of onrushing water， cascading down a waterfall， is exactly what a dense cataract looks like through the pupil. Thus，the cataract in medical terms is a clouding of the normally clear crystalline lens.
Metonymy turned out to be one of the most fundamental processes of meaning extension （Taylor， 1995）. Taylor lists three means of meaning extension through metonymy： highlighting different aspects of an entity’s constitution； perspectivization of a component of a unitary conceptual structure； and perspectivization of an implication. There are a number of typical means to realize polysemization in medical English. When nurses say， No.6 bed； the bed is not the bed itself， but the patient lying in No.6 bed. It is one metonymy where the location refers to persons. There are a number of typical means to realize polysemization in medical English.
In short， metonymy is an important cognitive tool and it is a great motivation to polysemy. It can give new meanings to a word and help to realize polysemization.
III. Conclusion
As is known， metonymy is based on contiguity. People tend to put contiguous or similar things into one category. Teachers can use metonymy to help students in
medical school learn polysemy， especially remember the medical meaning from familiar common meanings of those words.
References：
[1] Lyons， J. 1995. Linguist Semantics： An Introduction. Cambridge University Press.
[2] Tyler&Evans. 2001. Reconsidering Prepositional Polysemy Networks： the Case of Over .Language， Volume 77， Number 4（2001）.
[3] Ullmann， S. 1951. Words and Their Use. London： Frederick Muller Ltd.
[4] 林正军，杨忠， 2005，一词多义现象的历时和认知剖析[J].《外语教学与研究》第37卷第5期.
[5] 束定芳， 2000a， 《现代语义学》， 上海外语教育出版社.
Key words： polysemy； metonymy； medical English
Introduction
The study of polysemy has a long history in the philosophy of language， linguistics， psychology and literature. However， polysemy in medical English is not easy for students to remember and doesn’t get due attention.
I. Polysemy
Polysemy is one of the basic peculiarities of human speech， which represents paradigmatic economy： minimizing the number of word forms by giving them several meanings. Polysemy which reflects the characters of economy and flexibility of languages， is an advantage， not a defect of languages （Shu Dingfang， 2000a）. The paper will attempt to explore how word meanings in medical English are extended from the perspective of metonymy
II. Research on Polysemy in Medical English from the Perspective of Metonymy
Metonymy is a cognitive process of using one entity to refer to another that is related to it. It is a mapping of conceptual domain， the source， onto another domain， the target. Both source and target domains belong to the same functional domain. They are linked by a pragmatic function and the target can be mentally activated by the source.
If a doctor says， the heart valve surgery is very common， the expression valve is used to refer to the part of an organ or tube in your body that opens and closes to keep liquid flowing in the right direction. However， the core meaning of valve is the part of a machine or piece of equipment that opens and closes in order to control the flow of air of liquid. It is obvious the medical meaning of valve is similar to the common meaning of valve. Let’s see more words in the following table.
Take cataract for example， the word cataract stems from the Greek word for waterfall， because prior to the 1700s， people believed that cataracts were comprised of an opaque material flowing， like a waterfall， into the eye. In fact， the whitish appearance of onrushing water， cascading down a waterfall， is exactly what a dense cataract looks like through the pupil. Thus，the cataract in medical terms is a clouding of the normally clear crystalline lens.
Metonymy turned out to be one of the most fundamental processes of meaning extension （Taylor， 1995）. Taylor lists three means of meaning extension through metonymy： highlighting different aspects of an entity’s constitution； perspectivization of a component of a unitary conceptual structure； and perspectivization of an implication. There are a number of typical means to realize polysemization in medical English. When nurses say， No.6 bed； the bed is not the bed itself， but the patient lying in No.6 bed. It is one metonymy where the location refers to persons. There are a number of typical means to realize polysemization in medical English.
In short， metonymy is an important cognitive tool and it is a great motivation to polysemy. It can give new meanings to a word and help to realize polysemization.
III. Conclusion
As is known， metonymy is based on contiguity. People tend to put contiguous or similar things into one category. Teachers can use metonymy to help students in
medical school learn polysemy， especially remember the medical meaning from familiar common meanings of those words.
References：
[1] Lyons， J. 1995. Linguist Semantics： An Introduction. Cambridge University Press.
[2] Tyler&Evans. 2001. Reconsidering Prepositional Polysemy Networks： the Case of Over .Language， Volume 77， Number 4（2001）.
[3] Ullmann， S. 1951. Words and Their Use. London： Frederick Muller Ltd.
[4] 林正军，杨忠， 2005，一词多义现象的历时和认知剖析[J].《外语教学与研究》第37卷第5期.
[5] 束定芳， 2000a， 《现代语义学》， 上海外语教育出版社.