Contextual Meanning Essay

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The analysis of the contextual meaning of English words OUTLINE: 1.Introduction The thesis discusses that context is the environment that the word is used,what’s more,context often determines the exact meaning of words.Context usually has four types:figures of speech,culture,technical area and humor.As English learner,one should not only understand the words,but also make use the words flexibly. 2.Factors Influencing Contextual Meaning of English Words 2.1Contextual Meaning in Culture Culture in the New Word Encyclopedia is defined as “it is the totality of the spiritual,intellectual,and artistic attitudes shared by a group,including its tradition,habits,social customs,morals,laws and social relations.Sociologically,every society,on every level,has its culture.”Consequently,English word meaning,to some extent depends on the English culture. 2.1.2Idioms 2.2Contextual Meaning in Figures of Speech Figures of Speech refers to metonymy,metaphor,allusion and so on.That is to say,the contextual meaning,which out of all the possible meanings that the original related or suggested,including the characters of the original and enlightments from the original,is the acceptable meaning to the word. 2.2.1Metonymy 2.2.2Metaphor 2.2.3Allusion 2.3Contextual Meaning in Technical Area It is natural that in the course of the development of society a number of new words appear to describe new things,but many common words are still used to describe technical terns.Those words are broadly used in mathematics,mechanics,optics,electricity,chemistry and so on.What’s more,they often refer to different concepts because of different technical area. 2.4Contextual Meaning in Humor It is known that a little joke can remove an unpleasant conflict,change the talking atmosphere and make it harmonious.Since humor is important,it is necessary to know the meaning of words which

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