A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY ON LEXICAL CHANGES OF MEANING OF OLD ENGLISH NOUNS IN JONATHAN SLOCUM’S CORPUS AND MODERN ENGLISH NOUNS IN OXFORD ADVANCED LEARNER’S DICTIONARY OF CURRENT ENGLISH SEVENTH EDITION, 2005

Abstract

Change in a language is natural. Language tends to change by time, place, and condition, including English. However, the change of English can be merely illustrated from any period of that language. Based on the English history, English is divided into three stages or periods of language. The first chapter is Old English that occurs at (5th century-1100). The next period is called Middle English that occurs at (1100-1500), the last is Modern English (1500 until now). Those periods mark the change in English. The unstable condition of the country and the people are one of factors that English changes. The change of English can be divided into several terms, namely: lexical change, phonological change, grammatical change and semantic change. Then, semantic change will be the main analysis in this thesis. Later, lexicology becomes the area of research. The main research object of this thesis is word or vocabulary. Here, selected Old English nouns in Jonathan Slocum’s corpus are as the direct data. Jonathan Slocum’s Corpus is a collection of Old English words which is written by Jonathan Slocum. This direct data is taken from an official website: www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc/eieol/engol-EI-X.html. Then, the supporting data is Modern English nouns in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English Seventh Edition, 2005 by Hornby. The problems are starting from understanding the meaning of Modern English nouns Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English. Then, the meaning ix compared with Old English nouns in Jonathan Slocum’s corpus by using Baugh and Cable’s theory. The theory sounds that words often undergo certain tendencies, namely: extension or broadening of meaning, narrowing of meaning, generation and regeneration. In this thesis, lexical change of meaning (Semantic change) and Lexicology will be supporting theories to analyze the research object of this discussion. Those theories solve the problems of discussion, namely: Which of nouns in the Jonathan Slocum’s corpus undergo the change of meaning into broadening or narrowing. Next, what areas of language use that undergoes a large change of meaning of those words. The result of this thesis shows that Old English nouns (words) have semantic changes. Then, most of them change the meaning into broadening sense. Furthermore, the area of classifications of language use that undergo a large change of broadening and narrowing meaning in Old English Nouns in Jonathan Slocum’s Corpus are ‘Governmental and Administration’, ‘Army&Navy’, and ‘Religion’ categories.