首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Introduction to English Synonyms English has the largest vocabulary and the most synonyms of all languages in the world. This
Introduction to English Synonyms English has the largest vocabulary and the most synonyms of all languages in the world. This
admin
2011-02-11
55
问题
Introduction to English Synonyms
English has the largest vocabulary and the most
synonyms of all languages in the world. This richness
owns to the constant incorporation of words from other
languages.
Ⅰ. The gradual incorporation of words from other languages
—Before 1066, Anglo-Saxon words
—After 1066, words borrowed from 【1】______ 【1】______
—In 【2】______, a great influx of words of Latin 【2】______
and Greek origin
—In modem times, words directly 【3】______ 【3】______
from other languages
— 【4】______ English, e. g. jeep, railroad, fall,【4】______
gasoline, etc.
Ⅱ. Different kinds of synonyms
—Synonyms referring to the same thing but of
different 【5】______: e. g. foreword, preface, 【5】______
introduction
—Synonyms referring to different aspects of
【6】______: e. g. plain, prairie 【6】______
—Synonyms of different degree of 【7】______: 【7】______
e. g. teach, tutor, school
—Synonyms implying different 【8】______ among 【8】______
the participants : e. g. accompany, escort ,attend
—Synonyms of different degree of 【9】______: e. 【9】______
g. luncheon vs. lunch, go to bed vs. hit the sack
Correct choice of words is very important to the
【10】______ expression of what one wants to say. 【10】______
【3】
English has the largest vocabulary and the most synonyms of any language in the world. This richness is due to the fact that the English language has grown over the centuries by constantly incorporating words from other languages.
Even before the Norman Conquest in 1066, the Anglo-Saxon vocabulary included words borrowed from Latin, Greek. Celtic and Scandinavian.
After the Norman Conquest, the English vocabulary was doubled by the addition of French words, especially those words reflecting a higher standard of living and a more complex social life: for example, words connected with food, such as sugar, vinegar, boil, fry, roast, etc.; and words connected with clothing such as garment, robe, mantle, gown, etc.; and words connected with law, such as plaintiff, legacy, and words connected with social rank and organization, such as prince, duke, mayor etc. While much of the new French vocabulary described new ideas and activities, much of it duplicated the pre-existing Anglo-Saxon vocabulary, thus giving the writer or speaker a choice of synonyms: cure or heal, labour or work, assemble or meet, burglary or stealing, assault or hitting.
With the enormous expansion of classical learning in the Renaissance, there was a great influx of words of Latin and Greek origin into the English language. Also, the larger world discovered through travel and exploration was a great stimulus to culture and language. In the sixteenth century, there also arose a fashion to ornamenting one’s discourse with what were then called "aureate" terms drawn from Greek and Latin.
As some English-speaking people traded and traveled around the world in modern times—in Europe, North America, India, Australia, Africa, their adventures also expanded the vocabulary. Words were borrowed from Dutch, Spanish, American Indian, Eastern Indian, Italian, Australian, Mexican, Japanese, Malay and many others.
Furthermore, the United States, as a separate nation with its own life and character and institutions, has added vastly to the English vocabulary. With the rise of the United States to a position of world influence in politics, science, industry, trade and popular arts, American words and phrases have gained recognition and prestige everywhere. Ice cream, jeep and rock-and-roll are internationally known terms. Moreover, American terminology for many things exists side by side with an English terminology, thus placing another whole group of synonyms at our service. For example, sidewalk in American English refers to the same thing ms the British term pavement does. More examples are railroad and railway, elevator and lift, fall and autumn, druggist and chemist, gasoline and petrol, installment plan and hire-purchase system and so on through an almost interminable list.
So we can see that synonyms in English are of many kinds. Stone groups of synonyms are just words of different origins but refer to the same thing. For example, foreword, preface and introduction. Foreword is an Anglo-Saxon word; preface is from French, and introduction from Latin. Some groups, like plain, prairie, tundra, refer to geographical variants of the same kind of thing. Other groups of synonyms, like teach, educate, instruct, school, tutor, differ from one another principally in degrees of abstraction: teach is certainly the most general word of this group, while the others are more specialized in application.
It can be argued that there really are no exact synonyms—no exact equivalences of meaning. By "meaning" here we refer to the total range of contexts in which a word may be used. Certainly there are no two words that are interchangeable in all contexts. But within a given context, there is often exact synonymy. For example: I mislaid my wallet and I misplaced my wallet. However, in a slightly different context the two words are not interchangeable: it would not be idiomatic to say I mislaid my suitcase. Because mislay applies only to small objects while misplace is applicable to both small and large objects. This example shows again that words which are synonymous in one of their meanings may be different considerably in their other meanings.
Some groups of words describe the same actions, but imply different relationships among the parties concerned. We accompany our equals; we attend or follow those to whom we are subordinate; we conduct those who need guidance, and escort those who need protection; merchant ships are convoyed in time of war. Womanly and womanish are much alike in referring to female characteristics, but the second applies only to males, and in a derogatory sense.
Some differences in locution reveal differences in the degree of formality of the occasions described. For example, a luncheon as distinguished from a lunch. Sometimes different locutions reveal differences not in the situations described but in the formality of discourse about them. For instance, He went to bed as compared to He hit the sack.
Semanticists and linguistic scholars continue to remind us that words change in meaning according to time and place and circumstance. Such warnings are certainly not to be ignored. Yet there are remarkable elements of stability in a vocabulary. The distinctions between fury and rage, between thought and deliberation, have remained remarkably constant since Shakespeare’s day in all English-speaking countries.
Nothing is so important to clear and accurate expression ms the ability to distinguish between words of similar, but not identical meaning. In a given context, one particular word is certain to be more appropriate than the other. To choose wrongly is to leave the hearer or reader with a fuzzy or mistaken impression. To choose well is to give both illumination and delight. The study of synonyms will help us come closer to saying what we really want to say.
选项
答案
borrowed
解析
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/DYeO777K
0
专业英语八级
相关试题推荐
TheOriginofMoneyIntheearlieststagesofman’sdevelopmenthehadnomoreneedofmoneythananimalshave.Hewasconte
MoneyinAmericaMoneyisusedtobuygoodsorservicesand【1】______debts.【1】______InAmerica,moneysupplyconsists
Signhasbecomeascientifichotbutton.Onlyinthepast20yearshavelinguistsrealizedthatsignedlanguagesareunique--a
A、threatenedthepoliceB、tooksomehostagesC、robbedabankD、lockedhimselfinahouseD
Farmersinthedevelopingworldhatepricefluctuations.Itmakesithardtoplanahead.Butmostofthemhavelittlechoice:th
在十二世纪及随后的几个世纪中,炼金术(alchemy)在欧洲得到广泛的研究,并引起许多有学问的人的注意。虽然他们制造金子的种种尝试注定了是要失败的,但是他们的工作却使许多新的化学知识和实验方法得以发展。然而后来欧洲的许多炼金术士却是十足的骗子,他们施展各种
DreamFunctionsDreamingisacommonphenomenon.Practicallyallpeopledream,althoughwhethertheycan【1】______themisa
ItispossibleforstudentstoobtainadvanceddegreesinEnglishwhileknowinglittleornothingabouttraditionalscholarlyme
BythetimeIbeganteachingintheearly1970s,everyonealreadyseemedtobeinbusinessforhimself,lookingforthebestdea
A、Dreamsofviolence.B、Dreamsaboutfalling.C、Anxietydreams.D、Dreamsaboutfamouspeople.C
随机试题
现金和银行存款之间的收付业务一般只编制________,不编制收教凭证。即:将现金存入银行时,编制现金付款凭证;从银行提取现金时,编制银行存款付款凭证。
男婴,20天,一天前洗澡时无意发现右颈部有一椭圆形肿物,局部无红肿热痛,头部轻度向右偏斜,下颌部右侧被动旋转活动受限,无发热及腹泻,偶有吐奶。该患儿最可能的诊断是()。
县级以上地方人民政府设立的()负责执业兽医的监督执法工作
旋覆代赭汤主治病证的主要病机为
孕妇自我监护胎儿情况的简易手段为
安全技术交底应该由()负责实施。
样品应进行(),确保在流转过程中不发生混淆且具有可追溯性。
2011年5月28日下午,×县正在建设的某大桥发生坍塌事故,造成64人死亡,22人受伤,直接经济损失3974.7万元。经调查认定,这是一起严重的责任事故。由于施工、建设单位严重违反桥梁建设的法规标准、现场管理混乱、盲目赶工期,监理单位、质量监督部门严重失职
某公司2014年调整资产负债表和利润表资料如下表所示:要求:据上述资料,分析回答下列题。分别计算2013年和2014年的税后经营净利率、净经营资产周转次数、净经营资产净利率、税后利息率、经营差异率、净财务杠杆和杠杆贡献率。
Choosethecorrectanswer,A,BorC.WhatchangecausedchangesincrocodilepopulationsinNorthAfrica?
最新回复
(
0
)