Unit 23

●●● Transfer
　　 7.1.5 Transfer /transference
　　 Apart from the four major modes of semantic change, there is one other type which needs mentioning, i.e. transfer. Words which were used to designate one thing but later changed to mean something else have experienced the process of semantic transfer. Paper serves as an example. This word formerly denoted an African plant papyrus, which was once used to make paper. In modern times, paper is made from rags, wood, straw and the like, but the product has retained the same name.
●●●● Associated transfer
　　 1. Associate transfer
　　 There is associated transfer, for example, the lip of a wound; the tongue of a bell; the nose of a plane, in which the meaning is transferred through association. Purse for 'money', dish for 'food', glass for 'cup' etc. are all instances of associated transfer. Look at more examples:
　　 to dog
　　 to monkey
　　 to ape
　　 to fox
　　 the teeth of a comb
　　 the tongues of fire
●●●● Transfer between abstract and concrete meaning
　　 2. Transfer between abstract and concrete
　　 Transfer may also occur between abstract and concrete meanings. For instance, aftermath used to refer to a 'second crop of grass after mowing', a concrete meaning, but it has now acquired another abstract meaning 'consequence' or 'result'. Conversely, hope, which has an abstract meaning, can be used in a concrete sense as in 'Clinton is the hope of the family.'
●●●● Transfer between subjective and objective meaning
　　 3. Transfer between subjective and objective meaning
　　 Another transfer that occurs between subjective and objective meanings is noteworthy. For example, pitiful originally meant 'full of pity', but now has changed to 'deserving pity'. If a person is full of pity, he shows pity on others, thus being subjective. A person who deserves pity is one on whom others show pity, so being objective. Other examples are dreadful and hateful, which have transferred from a subjective meaning to an objective meaning. There are words which keep both subjective and objective meanings at the same time such as fearful, doubtful, suspicious, which mean both 'causing and showing fear, doubt, and suspicion'. Look at more examples:
　　 The old man is hateful.
　　 (The old man is hated by people; the old man receives the hate. objective)
　　 The teacher was suspicious of the student's excuse.
　　 (The teacher suspected the student's excuse. subjective)
　　 The subjective or objective meanings have the following verbal markers:
　　 Subjective: 　　 　having
　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 showing
　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 full of
　　 Objective: 　　 　　causing
　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 deserving
　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 bringing
　　 Some words have both subjective and objective meaning, e.g.
　　 The man looks suspicious as his behavior is unusual.
　　 The neighbours are suspicious of the man as his behaviour is unusual.
　　 The teacher was doubtful of the doubtful excuse of the student.
●●●● Synesthesia
　　 4. Synesthesia
　　 Synesthesia is a transfer of sensation from sense to another sense, for example, clear-sounding (from sight to hearing), loud colours (from hearing to sight), sweet music (from taste to hearing) etc.