Polysemy and Prudery
A third
kind of semantic change is known as ‘polysemy’ or multiplication of meaning.
Polysemy is the name given to a kind of meaning change. The innumerable words in the language have developed several
meanings in addition to their original meanings. From the central meaning which remains in use , many other meanings have radiated and hence it is also known as ‘radiation’.
For example the word drive which was originally used in the sense of
driving a fleet of sheep. From this developed the notion of driving a coach or a railway engine. We now also
speak of people with plenty of drive.
Eg: The word ‘paper’ is derived from the word ‘papyrus’ or
paper reed. Then sheets of writing paper were made from papyrus as a substitute for parchment. Later the term was transferred to the material made of cotton or other things. The word ‘head’ for example now refers to the
head of an institution, head of a page, head of a page, head of a table. etc. And usually the parts of the body lend themselves to tradition. Thus we speak of hands of a clock, foot of a mountain and the legs of a table. Here physical similarity is the cause of radiation.
A number of euphemistic expressions are traced to a false sense of delicacy or refinement rather than a genuine desire to avoid giving pain or embarrassment . In other words there is also as element of social affection and snobbery. Examples are paying guest for boarder, financier for money lender, sanitary engineers for plumbers and serviette for table napkin. This phenomenon is called prudery.
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