Lexicalization, polysemy and loanwords in anger: A comparison with non-affective domains in Middle English

Abstract

This paper compares the Middle English lexis of anger with that of nine non-affective domains. We first investigate lexicalization, polysemy, replacement and retention, and then focus on semantic overlap between French / Latin loanwords in Middle English and their etyma. Results show that anger is more heavily lexicalized than other domains and individual lexemes within it are more polysemous. Turnover of vocabulary appears to be higher, but it was not the case that incoming loanwords caused existing native terms to shift or fall from use in large numbers. anger has similar proportions of loanword senses innovated in Middle English and they are much more likely to be figurative.

Keywords

• polysemy
• lexical borrowing
• lexicalization
• Middle English
• semantic domains