A Cognitive Study On The English Polysemous Phenomenon

Lexical polysemy is the most pervasive and the most important semantic phenomenon in English. Therefore, it has been the focus of linguists'researches. The traditional studies are confined to the external reasons that cause the changes of meanings of polysemous words without taking account of their underlying cognitive mechanisms. They fail to reveal the essential nature of polysemous words. The polysemous phenomenon has attracted much concern of cognitive linguists too. Some of the cognitive researchers focused their minds too much on the classification of the semantic system of polysemous words (王德春,2002). Others lay their emphasis on the analysis of polysemous perception words or bodily-part words such as hand or heart. However, the research which systematically studies internal semantic relations of polysemous words and explains the nature of the development of the meanings of polysemous words is still rare in terms of cognitive linguistics.This thesis conducts a study of polysemous words from a cognitive perspective within the relevant theoretical framework of categorization and prototype, metaphor, metonymy and image schema, the goal of which is to find the formation process as well as semantic extension mechanisms of polysemy. Moreover, we intend to make a systematic explanation of the motivation behind the formation of polysemy and demonstrate connections of the related senses of a polysemous word.The thesis is organized as follows: chapter one is the introduction, the purpose and significance of this study is firstly given. Then the previous studies are briefly reviewed. Chapter two is about the theoretical foundation, namely the theory of categorization and prototype. The internal structure of polysemy is linked by prototype and family resemblance. In this chapter, a case study of polysemous interest is also attached. Chapter three is concerning the motivation mechanisms of meaning extension. The theory of conceptual metaphor, metonymy and image schema is introduced. Another case study of polysemous window is conducted to illustrate the explanatory power of the three meaning extension devices. Chapter four is mainly about a case study of preposition beyond. Chapter five is the conclusion of this thesis. The meanings of a polysemous word are tightly connected with human experience and the way in which human beings categorize and conceptualize the world. In this chapter, the answer to the questions of how polysemous words come into being and how meanings are extended is roughly given.