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Historism (historicism) is a word which denotes a thing that is no longer used. Historisms are very numerous as names of social relations, institutions, objects of material culture of the past, e.g. brougham, berlin, gig, hansom, phaeton as the names of garments.
Obsolete word ['9bs(o)li:t] is a word which is no longer in general use; fallen into disuse, e.g. eke - also, for why? - because.
Fossil word [’f9s(o)l] is an obsolete word which remains in currency because it is contained within an idiom still in use, e.g. eke out, to and fro, let bygones be bygones, much ado about nothing.
What is the difference between archaic and obsolete words?
The meaning of these temporal labels can be somewhat different among dictionaries and thesauri. The label archaic is used for words that were once common but are now rare. Archaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time. Obsolete indicates that a term is no longer in active use, except, for example, in literary quotation. Obsolete may apply to a word regarded as no longer acceptable or useful even though it is still in existence. In the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin [4th ed.], 2004) the archaic label is described this way: “This label is applied to words and senses that were once common but are now rare, though they may be familiar because of their occurrence in certain contexts, such as the literature of an earlier time. Specifically, this label is attached to entry words and senses for which there is only sporadic evidence in print after 1755”. The AHD describes the obsolete label thus: “The label obsolete is used with entry words and senses no longer in active use, except, for example, in literary quotations. Specifically, this label is attached to entry words and senses for which there is little or no printed evidence since 1755”. In Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 2003), the Explanatory Notes say, “The temporal label obs for obsolete means that there is no evidence of use since 1755. The label obs is a comment on the word being defined. When a thing, as distinguished from the word used to designate it, is obsolete, appropriate orientation is usually given in the definition. The temporal label archaic means that a word or sense once in common use is found today only sporadically or in special contexts”.
Practical Assignment
Name causes that bring about the needfor a new name andfind examples of new words and word combinations that have come into the English lexicon since the 70s.
Analyze the following lexical units and discuss the factors that have caused their appearance in the English language and the way they have been coined:
Moolah n (sl.) ‘money’, movie ‘moving picture’, schnapps, loo, soundfilm, spik ‘Spanish American, esp. Mexican’, Planck (Planck’s constant) ‘fundamental constant proportionality between energy and frequency of quota of electromagnetic radiation’, powercrat.
Analyze the following neologisms from the point of view of neology theory and also from the point of view of their morphemic structure and the way they were formed.
clip-clip
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to river
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AIDS
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singer-songwriter
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coup
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beatnik
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to Vice-Preside
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communication gap
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boutique
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laundered money
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to re-familiarize
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cheeseburger
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tourmobile
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Don’t change horses.
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sevenish
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SA
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to de-dramatize
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self-exile
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non-formals
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public-schooly
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chat
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brain-drainer movers and shakers
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hide-away
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Euroyuppie
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cashless society
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D-Day
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memo
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face-to-face/tuition/
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to dish old wine in new bottles
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to-ing and fro-ing multinationals
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Translate thefollowing sentences into Russian. State in what new meanings the words given in bold type are used and compare them with their old meanings.
1. In the absence of angels Ministers were faced with the imminent collapse of the film industry (В.). 2. The Nizam's State Army of about 20,000 whose equipment includes armour (Daily Telegraph). 3. After talking it over with the President, the Secretary bought the Air Force point of view (В.).
It was not unknown for a single controller in a single fight to coach his fighters into the destruction of as many as six nazi planes (В.). 5. They wrote about the abolition of floor prices for Japanese exports (Hansard). 6. Mr. В. had no difficulty in blowing them sky-high on each of these points (Daily Telegraph). 7. The repulse of the great German air attack broke down the legend of the invincibility of the Luftwaffe (В.).
From the words given below, pick out the archaic words and comment on their usage and meaning.
Do, dost, does, you, thee, ye, thou, horse, though, albeit, also, eke, spring, vernal, said, quoth, told, maiden, girl, haply, perhaps, ere, before.
Find the meanings of the following historisms and archaisms. Give examples of your own.
Steed (n), woe (n), hark (v), betwixt (prep), cove (n), damsel (n), fluey (adj), Brodkin (n), bodice (n), monteith (n), wassail (n), battering-ram (n), Bangster, belly-timber, eye-service, flesh-quake, merry-go-round.
Find the euphemisms in the following sentences and jokes. Name the words for which they serve as euphemistic substitutes.
Policeman (to the intoxicated man who is trying to fit his key to a lamppost): I’m afraid there’s nobody home there tonight.
Man: Mus’ be. Mus’be. Theresh a light upstairsh.
The doctor had an inveterate punster and wit among his patients. One day he was late in making his rounds, and explained to the incorrigible humourist that he had stopped to attend a man who had fallen down a well. With a groan of agony, the wit mustered up strength enough to murmur: “Did he kick the bucket, doctor?”
First Student: Great Scott! I’ve forgotten who wrote Ivanhoe.
Second Student: I’ll tell you if you tell me who the dickens wrote The Tale of Two Cities.
He was high and didn’t know what he was saying.
“You never know with lunatics”, said the young man chattily. “They don’t always look balmy, you know”.
“I think the fellow’s half a loony. He needs someone to look after him”.
Find the euphemistic substitutes for the following words: die, drunk, prison, mad, liar, devil, lavatory, god, eat, pregnant, stupid. Write them out into two columns: a) substitutes for social taboos; b) substitutes for superstitious taboos.
Theme 12
THEORIES OF MEANING
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