noneofyourbusiness

OntheSemanticMeaningofBack

王霞2014011094

uction

eudasnoun,adjective,

pershallpay

attentiontoitsdenotativeandconnotativemeanings,discusswithitsmeaningshift.

icMeaning

2.1backasadverbial

When“back”isudasadverbial,itsoriginalmeaningis“intheoppositedirection

fromthewayyouarefacing”,nother

commonmeaning,“back”meanstoreturntotheplace,conditionorpositionwhere

somethingorsomeonewasbefore,/getbackto

(doing)rnsomethingtosomebody,backthatletter!

It’nthis,

wehavemoredenotativemeanings:

①.Ifyoudosomethingback,youdoitasareplayorreactiontowhatsomeonehas

llyoubacklater?

ThismeaningcomesfromthethirdconnotativemeaningIhavementioned,return

theexample,yougivemeacall,soIwillreturnyoua

call,too.

②.overyourworktocheckforanymistakes.

urntotheplace

wheresomethingwasbeforemeansthatyougothereagain,inthisway,weextendthe

meaningasonceagain.

③.k,relax,andenjoytheshow.

Thismeaningcomesfromthefirstconnotativemeaning.

2.2backasnoun

When“back”isudasanoun,tofthe

bodybetweentheneckandlegs,ontheoppositesidetothestomachandchest.E.g.

tofsomethingthatisfurthest

simportantsideor

ribbledhisaddress

retheconnotativemeanings,thenlet’sgoto

denotativemeanings.

①.wersareinthebackofthe

book.

Itusthebackofthebooktoreplacethelastpagesofthebook,it’sadenotative

meaning.

②.at/inthebackofyourmind:athoughtthatisatthebackofyourmindisoneyou

trytoignorebecauyoudon’ackofhermind

wasthethoughtthathemightbewithsomeoneel.

③.behindsb’sback:ifyoudosomethingbehindsomeone’sback,youdoitwithout

’tliketheideaofthetwoofthemtalkingaboutme

behindmyback.

④.get/putsb’sbackup:wasthekindofpersonwho

wasalwaysputtingpeople’sbacksup.

⑤.beonsb’sback:tobetryingtomakesomeonedosomethingtheydon’twantto

youandDadalwaysonmyback?

⑥.onthebackofsth:asaresultofsomethingthatalreadyexistorsomethingyou

panyshouldbeabletogeneratebusinessonthe

backofexistingcontracts.

⑦.onthebacksofsb:usingtheworkofaparticulargrouptoachievesomething

icprosperitywaswonthe

backsoftheurbanpoor.

⑧.adefendingplayerinasportsteam

⑨.putyourbackintoit:allyputourbacksintoit,we

couldfinishtoday.

Afterthelearningofthedenotativemeanings,wecanfindthatthemeaningof

“back”changesalot,thereisabigdifferentbetweenthebasicmeaningsand

lsocanfindthatweu“back”toreplacesomething

becautheytwohavesomepartsincommon,suchastheeighthone,thedefending

playerinasportsteamisstandinginthebackoftheteam,soweu“back”toreplace

thiskindofusagemetaphor.

2.3backasverb

When“back”isudasverb,ithasfollowingbasicmeanings:tomovebackwards,

kedintoadoorwayto

dia

’sabout

denotativemeanings.

①.tosupportsomeoneorsomething,especiallybygivingthemmoneyorusingyour

emehasbeenbackedbyveralmajorcompaniesinthe

region.

②.toputamaterialorsubstanceontothebackofsomething,inordertoprotectitor

ephotowithcardboard.

③.

performedalltheirhits,backedbya40piecearchestra.

④.toriskmoneyonwhetheraparticularhor,dog,teamectwinssomething.

⑤.backaway:tomovebackwardsandawayfromsomething,especiallybecau

tostopsupportingaplanoridea,

governmenthasbackedawayfromitsnuclearweaponsstrategy.

⑥.backoff:tomovebackwards,ked

tellingsomeonewhattodo,orstop

criticizingthem,especiallysothattheycandealwithsomethingthemlves.E.g.

supportingsomething,ordecide

ackedoffwhenhe

realizedhowmuchworkwasinvolved.

Bylearningthemeaningsofbackasaverb,wecanfindthatthemeaningofback

becomeswidermore,atthesametime,mple,

thefirstoneisonedenotativemeaningofback,andthefifthandthesixtharedeeper

vethesameoriginalmeaning,butthemeaningofthe

firstoneisudinamorespecificsituation,sothemeaningchangesalittle,but

deeper.

2.4backasadjective

Whenbackisudasadjective,ithasfollowingbasicmeanings:atorintheback

’something,

k

t’sgotodenotative

meanings.

①.Backstreet/lane/roadetc:astreetetcthatisawayfromthemainstreets.E.g.A

shortcutdownabacklane.

②.Backrent/taxes/payetc:moneythatsomeoneowesfromanearlierdate.

③.Backissue/copy/number:acopyofamagazineonnewspaperfromanearlier

date.

2.5othermeanings

Wecanfindmetaphorinthedenotativemeanings,

dailylife,astreetthatisawayfromthemainstreetsisusuallylocatedinthebackof

thebuilding,ebackstreettoexpressthis

s,wehavemoreexamples:backdoor,backoffice,backcountry

etc.

Whenbackisincombinationwithotherwords,newmeaningsappear:

①.Backbone:themostimportantpartofanorganizationorgroupofpeople.E.g.

Farmersarethebackboneofthiscommunity.

②.Backchat:

yourbackchat,doyourhomework!

③.Backfire:ifaplanoractionbackfires,ithastheoppositeeffecttotheoneyou

pany’snewpolicybackfiredwhenanumberofemployees

threatenedtoquit.

Thewordsshowusnewmeanings,andinmostinstances,themeaningisabout

thewordthatisincombinationwithback,suchasbackchat,it’saboutchattinginstead

ofback,theword“chat”playsadecisiveroleinnewmeaning.

sion

Accordingtotheanalyzing,wecangettheconclusionsasfollowing:

①.Badonthebasicmeaningsofback,theusagesandmeaningsofbackare

becomingwideranddeeper.

②.Themeaningsofbackareudasmetaphor.

③.Whenbackisincombinationwithotherword,itshowsusanewmeaning,and

thismeaningisusuallyaboutthewordwhichisincombinationwithback.