词汇多义化过程中隐喻性的消逝

The Vanishing of Metaphoricity in Polysemy Formation

词义范畴的拓展变化与认知的发展直接相关、互相促进,其中的运行机制是隐喻式的。一个旧词与其新意义的最初关系往往不是符号中的能指与所指,而是一个隐喻表达式,当它被广泛地接受和高频率地使用,其隐喻性随之衰减直至完全消逝,最终转化为常规的新词义。由死隐喻转变而来的新词义又构成了语言继续发展变迁的基石和阶梯。所谓"常规词义"和"新奇表达"的对立不复存在,"常规"由"新奇"沉淀而来,"新奇"又只能在"常规"之中孕育而出,隐喻是这一切共同的原动力。

The development and change of semantic category are directly related to human cognitive development and they promote each other metaphorically. Originally, the relationship between an old word and its new meaning is like a metaphorical expression instead of the signifier and the signified. When widely accepted and frequently used, its metaphorical meaning gradually fades into a fixed new meaning. New meanings generated from dead metaphor constitute the cornerstone of language development. The antagonism between ＂normal word meaning＂ and ＂unusual novel expression＂ ceases to exist. ＂Normal meaning＂ comes from ＂novelty＂, and ＂novelty＂ can only be produced from the ＂normal meaning＂. And metaphor is the motive force of language development.