Types of Connotations

Stylistic connotation is concerned with the situation in which the word is uttered, the social circumstances (formal, familiar), the social relationships between the communicants (polite, rough etc.), the type and purpose of communication, e.g. father (stylistically neutr.), dad (colloquial), parent (bookish).

Emotional connotation is acquired by the word as a result of its frequent use in contexts corresponding to emotional situations or because the referent conceptualised in the denotative meaning is associated with certain emotions, e.g. mother (emotionally neutr.), mummy (emotionally charged); bright (emotionally neutr.), garish (implies negative emotions).

Evaluative connotation expresses approval or disapproval, e.g. modern is often used appreciatively, newfangled expresses disapproval.

Intensifying connotation expresses degree of intensity, e.g. the words magnificent, gorgeous, splendid, superb are used colloquially as terms of exaggeration.

Polysemy

Polysemy (Gr. πολυσημεία ‘multiple meaning’) is the ability of words to have more than one meaning. Polysemy is typical of the English vocabulary due to:

n its monosyllabic character;

n the predominance of root words.

A monosemantic word is a word having only one meaning; these are mostly terms, e.g.: hydrogen, molecule. A polysemantic word is a word having more than one meaning; highly polysemous words can include dozens of meanings, e.g. to go – appr. 40 meanings), to get, to put, to take – appr. 30 meanings).

The semantic structure of a word is an organised system comprising all meanings and shades of meanings that a particular sound complex can assume in different contexts together with emotional, stylistic and other connotations.

Typology of Meaning

n Direct meaning (primary meaning) is the meaning which characterises the referent without the help of a context, in isolation.

n Indirect meaning (figurative / secondary / derived meaning) is the meaning formed from the direct meaning according to the models of semantic derivation; it is realised only in definite contexts.

n Main meaning possesses the highest frequency at the present stage of vocabulary development.

n Etymological meaning is the earliest known meaning, e.g. urchin, n. ‘a mischievous or naughty child, esp. a boy’ < ‘a hedgehog’.

n Archaic meaning is the meaning superseded at present by a newer one, but still remaining in certain collocations, e.g. brave ‘fine, excellent, admirable’ as in a brave new world ‘ a new era resulting from revolutionary changes, reforms etc. in society’.

n Obsolete meaning is the meaning which went out of use, e.g. to taste ‘to examine by touch, to feel; to test or try’.

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