A Cognitive Study Of The Semantic Extension Mechanism Of Onomatopoeic Words In English

Polysemy word is a universal phenomenon in language; like English onomatopoeic words, as part of the English language, are generally polysemous. The semantic extension of English onomatopoeic words are representative of the general process of English language change; the connection between its original meaning and the extended meanings is necessary, and to find the connection is of great importance to English onomatopoeic words study and to the general cognition of the semantic extension of English words as well. However, studies of English onomatopoeic words before mainly dealt with its sound-meaning relation and its sound-imitative mechanism. There are also studies on its meaning in recent years, but few of them have been able to come out with the reason and the driving force of English onomatopoeic words semantic extension. Therefore, this study, based on cognitive theories and empirical study, plans to give an overall analysis and explanation of the process and rules of the semantic extension of English onomatopoeic words .On the basis of the former studies of polysemy and English onomatopoeic words; and with the use of dynamic categorization theory in cognitive linguistics and the DIY dictionary-based English onomatopoeic words database, this thesis attempts to do the following work: (1) Through the study of polysemous words in English language, the multi-meaning and multi-function of English onomatopoeic words are proved to be the embodiment of substantive characteristics of language. (2) To distinguish that metaphor and metonymy are the main tools for semantic extension of words. (3) Through the analysis of all the senses of English onomatopoeic words in the dictionary, different categories of senses are classified, and relationships among those categories of senses are made clear. (4) To relate different steps of the semantic extension to different cognitive mechanisms. (5) Through the classification of English onomatopoeic words into different semantic extension routes, explanation and prediction of the direction of English onomatopoeic words semantic extension can be made. Hence the semantic extension of English words can also be analyzed in a similar way.Therefore, this study integrates the qualitative and quantitative research methods and offers a new perspective to studies of English onomatopoeic words hereafter. It has both theoretical significance in English polysemy study and practical guidance in English teaching.