Breal Theory

1.3.2.4. Breal Theory of Semantic Change Another major theory in the field semantic change was given by Breal in ‘Essai de semantique’ (1897), translated into English as ‘Semantics: Studies in the science of meaning’

(1900). In order to understand Breal’s theory one must have clear knowledge about ‘history, intelligence and will’. Theory of semantic change given by Breal operates on two levels: on the level of ‘form and meaning’ and on the level of ‘meaning alone’. His aim was to develop a science of meaning by studying “the intellectual causes which have influenced the transformation of our languages’ (Breal 1991[1882]) with a focus on a language as a ‘human product’. He takes a semantic approach to grammar in general, and therefore his ‘laws’ concern the changes in the wide range of linguistic domain, not only in lexical items, but also inventories of inflections and word order. He also added that in addition to general mechanism like analogy, Breal has given several outline ‘laws’ that are still given by many

For Breal metaphor is associated with images, and languages are full of metaphors. He also says that ‘[t] the Indo-European languages are condemned to figurative speech’ (1964:3). His examples include the way even ‘dry grammars’ use metaphors like ‘clou’ [nail] takes an {s} in the plural’. Breal’s use of the word ‘condemned' (itself is a metaphor in the above cited quote) presumably evokes the presentations of stylists of his time that scientific discourse was objective, literal, and therefore non-figurative. According to Breal a special kind of metaphor is extremely frequent in all languages, which comes from the communication between our organs of sense, which allow us to transport the sensation of sight into the domain of hearing, or the ideas of touch into the domain of taste. As for example, ‘a warm reception, ‘a broad style’, a bitter reproach’, a black