(英语语言学纲要

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1、ComponentialAnalysisComponentialanalysisisamethodthatlooksateachwordasabundleofdifferentfeaturesorcomponents.Thefocusofcomponentialanalysisisonfindingthosefeaturesthatarenecessaryandsufficientforagivenitemtobeanexampleofagivenword.Forexample,thewordm

2、ancouldbeseenasthesumofthefeatures[+human],[+adult],[+male].Anyonewhohas11ofthesefeaturesqualifiesasaman.Similarly,thewordwomanwouldbedefinedas[+human],[+adult],[-male],thewordboyas[+human],[-adult],[+male],andthewordgirlas[+human].[-adult],[-male].

3、(Notethatwritingfeaturesinbracketswiththesymbols“+”+and“-”isaconventionofcomponentialanalysis.)Incontrast,theworddogwouldbedefinedas[-human],[+/-adult],[+/-male].(The“+/-”symbolmeansthatitmaybelongtoeithergroupandstillbeadog.)Componentialanalysis

4、helpsyoufindthosefeatureswhicharedistinctive,andwhichcreatedifferencesamongagroupofrelatedwords.Thefeaturesofthewordsgivenabovearesummarizedinthefollowingchart.HumanadultmaleBoy+-+Woman++-Girl+--Man__+++Dog-+/-+/-Componentialanalysiscanbeparticular

5、lyusefulinhelpingtounderstandthesubtledifferencesinmeaningbetweenagroupofrelatedwords,asisshowninthefollowingchart:highpitchverbalvoicedhighvolumeScream+-/+++Shriek++-++Shout+/-+++Growl-+/-++/-Whispern/a+--Mumble-/+++-/+Babble+/--++/-Notes:+/-:primar

6、ilypositive;-/+:primarilynegative.Mostpeople,native-speakersandEnglishteachersincluded.wouldbehardpressedifsomeoneaskedthemtoexplainthedifferencebetweenthisgroupofwords.Butbydoingacomponentialanalysis,itbecomesquiteclearhowthesystemofEnglishvocabula

7、rydividesuptheworldofsuchverbalandnonverbalhumansounds.ComponentialanalysiscanbeofparticularbenefitwhenyouarecalledontotranslatetoorfromEnglish.ThewordheirinEnglish,forinstance,meansapersonwhohasreceived,orwillreceive,somethingofvalueaftersomeoneels

8、ediedordies.Butinmanyothercultures,theuseofthetermclearlyimpliesthatthatotherpersonhasdiedalready.(WhataboutChinese?)Anotherstrengthofthismethodliesinitshandlingoffigurativelanguage.Figuresofspeechtendtobehighlyculture-bound.IfanEnglishspeakersaysthe