Semantic features and the interchangeability of the verb make with its synonyms in english articles with reference to the vietnamese equivalents

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY M.A THESIS SEMANTIC FEATURES AND THE INTERCHANGEABILITIES OF THE VERB MAKE WITH ITS SYNONYMS IN ENGLISH ARTICLES WITH REFEREN

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY

M.A THESIS

SEMANTIC FEATURES AND THE INTERCHANGEABILITIES OF

THE VERB MAKE WITH ITS SYNONYMS IN ENGLISH ARTICLES

WITH REFERENCE TO THE VIETNAMESE EQUIVALENTS

(ĐẶC ĐIỂM NGỮ NGHĨA VÀ SỰ THAY THẾ CỦA ĐỘNG TỪ MAKE VỚI CÁC TỪ ĐỒNG NGHĨA TRONG CÁC BÀI BÁO TIẾNG ANH TRONG SỰ ĐỐI CHIẾU TƯƠNG ĐƯƠNG TIẾNG VIỆT)

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report entitled

SEMANTIC FEATURES AND THE INTERCHANGEABILITIES OF THE VERB

MAKE WITH ITS SYNONYMS IN ENGLISH ARTICLES WITH REFERENCE TO

THE VIETNAMESE EQUIVALENTS submitted in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree of Master in English Language Except where the

reference is indicated, no other person’s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in the text of the thesis

Hanoi, 2017

Approved by

SUPERVISOR

Assoc Prof Dr Le Van Thanh

Date:………

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost, I would like to express my deep and sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Assoc.Prof.Dr Le Van Thanh, Hanoi Open University This study could have probably not completed without his patient, enthusiastic supervision and encouragement His value support has provided my opportunities to carry out the research which is very useful for the study

I am deeply grateful to all the lecturers in the Faculty of Post Graduate Studies in Hanoi Open University for their efforts to enrich, broaden and deepen my knowledge

I also would like to give my special thanks to other members who have supported, given advices for me to accomplish my study

ABSTRACT

As far as we know, it is difficult to create a system of synonyms of a word However, they play an important role in linguistics as well as in translation Synonyms also make vocabulary system more diversity, which is suitable with the development

of language The study focus on the meaning of the verb make in certain contexts and its interchangeability with synonyms, using the framework developed by Arnold (1973) The aim of this study helps students in translating the meaning of the verb make and in English articles and in real contexts Numerous examples have been analyzed cautiously by applying qualitative approach and some other ones so as to achieve the set objectives In the study, about 71 articles published from 2012 to 2016 are used to analysis the interchangeabilities of synonyms of the verb make The study

also give synonymic groups of the verb make, the interchangeability of the verb make

with its synonyms in English articles and the similarities and differences of the

meanings of the verb make in English and Vietnamese

It can be concluded from this study that a word can be replaced by a suitable synonym without changing its connotation in certain contexts collected from English articles in various fields Some recommendations are also given to linguistics leaners and translators to help them understand thoroughly when studying and translating It is hoped that the study will be useful for and students learning English as a foreign language

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii

ABSTRACT iv

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES v

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Rationale for the study 1

1.2 Aims and objectives of the study 1

1.3 Research questions 2

1.4 Methods of the study 2

1.5 The scope of the study 3

1.6 Significance of the study 3

1.7 Design of the study 3

Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.1 Previous studies 5

2.2 Overview of semantics 6

2.2.1 Definition of semantics 6

2.2.2 Synonyms 6

2.2.3 Criteria of synonymy 7

2.2.4 The dominant synonymy 8

2.3 Overview of translation theories 9

2.4 The semantic features of the verb make 10

2.4.1 Denotation of the verb make 10

2.4.2 Connotation of the verb make 14

2.5 The semantic features of the verb làm 14

2.6 The setting of the study 18

2.7 Summary 19

Chapter 3: SEMANTIC FEATURES AND THE INTERCHANGEABILITY OF THE VERB MAKE WITH ITS SYNONYMS IN ENGLISH ARTICLES WITH REFERENCE TO THE VIETNAMESE EQUIVALENTS 20

3.1 Synonymic groups of the verb make 20

3.1.1 The evaluative connotation 20

3.1.2 The causative connotation 21

3.1.3 The connotation of manner 21

3.1.4 The connotation of attendant features 22

3.1.5 The stylistic connotation 22

3.2 The interchangeability of the verb make with its synonyms in English articles 22 3.2.1 Denotations with synonyms: 23

3.2.2 Denotations without synonyms 43

3.3 The comparison between the meanings of the verb make in English and their Vietnamese equivalents 46

3.3.1 The similarities between the meanings of the verb make in English and their Vietnamese equivalents in terms of semantics 46

3.3.2 The differences between the meanings of the verb make in English and their Vietnamese equivalents in terms of semantics 48

3.4 Summary 51

Chapter 4: DIFFICULTIES IN TRANSLATING WHEN USING MAKE AND ITS SYNONYMS 53

4.1 Survey questionnaires 53

4.1.1 Subject 53

4.1.2 Questionnaires 53

4.1.3 Procedure 53

4.2 Difficulties in translating when using make and its synonyms 54

4.2.1 Difficulties in translating when using make and its synonyms 54

4.2.2 Causes 57

4.3 Suggestions for choosing equivalences when translating 58

4.4 Summary 58

Chapter 5: CONCLUSION 60

5.1 Concluding remarks 60

5.2 Limitation of the study 60

5.3 Recommendations/Suggestions for further study 61

REFERENCES 62

APPENDICES 73

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale for the study

Vocabulary is one of the most important matters when referring a language, which shows the diversity of a language The vocabulary of any language is never stable, but changes and grows or decays constantly (Ginzburg, R S, Khidekel, S S, Knyazeva, G Y, Sankin, A A, 1979) The growth or diversity of vocabulary of a language is not only in the number of words or types of word, but also different denotations of a word in each context, which forms synonymic groups containing words having the same denotation, but different form or morphology

In the study, Arnold (1973) noted all features from range to define a synonymic group, component semantics, and phonemic shape to interchangeability

of synonyms Therefore, there are a huge number of researches study semantic features and synonym Dimarco, C & Hirst, G & Stede, M (1993) discussed the semantic and stylistic differentiation of synonyms and near – synonyms

Although, synonyms are considered to be one of the most intelligible sections, English learners often use them incorrectly Understanding denotation, connotation and synonyms of a word is very important for those studying English as a foreign language The leaners should study word carefully in both denotative and connotative components to use it accurately in real contexts

For these above mentioned reasons, “Semantic features and the interchangeability of the verb make with its synonyms in English articles with reference to the Vietnamese equivalents” is chosen to investigate in order that

learners could use denotations and connotations of the verb make accurately and

confidently

1.2 Aims and objectives of the study

The aim of this study helps students in translating the meaning of the verb

make in English articles and in real contexts

To fulfill the aim above, the study is to pursue the following goals:

- To point out semantic features of the verb make in English and the interchangeability of the verb make with its synonyms in English articles

- To find out the similarities and differences the verb make in English and their

Vietnamese equivalents in terms of semantic features

- To give some suggestions for Vietnam learners learning English when

translating the meaning of the verb make

1.3 Research questions

This research seeks to address the following questions:

(i) What are semantic features of the verb make and the interchangeabilities of

the verb make with its synonyms in English article?

(ii) What are similarities and differences between the verb make in English and

their Vietnamese equivalents in terms of semantic features?

(iii) What are suggestions for Vietnamese learners learning English when

translating the meaning of the verb make?

1.4 Methods of the study

A research method is based on the purpose of the field of the study and its

questions The study investigates the interchangeability of the verb make with its

synonyms, so the analytical methods are chosen as major one Sentences quoted

from official English articles containing the verb make are analyzed to find out the

denotations and the interchangeability of them

On the one hand, the descriptive method is used in order to state the

characteristics of denotation, connotation and synonyms of the verb make

Moreover, some main concepts, definitions from different authors will be introduced and discussed in the study

Also, the survey method is done to recognize most difficulties of students when they translate meanings of the verb make in real context

Therefore, the considerations, remarks, consumptions, comments and conclusions in the thesis are mainly based on data analysis A number of data relating to the meanings of the verb make in English and their Vietnamese equivalents are collected from textbooks, short stories, books, dictionaries, articles

on English and Vietnamese languages Data collected will then be analyzed in order

to find out the similarities and differences between English and their Vietnamese equivalents in terms of semantic features

1.5 The scope of the study

In this project, we focus on the meaning of the word make and its synonymic groups Denotations of make are looked up in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – the eighth edition, and synonymic groups of make are collected in

Oxford Learner’s Thesaurus Dictionary The reason for choosing these Dictionaries

as reference for this project is their popularity Most of learners learn words and look up their meaning in these dictionaries Moreover, they are updated periodically because vocabulary system changes constantly with the growth of the society In addition, both dictionaries have two types including printed dictionary and online dictionary, which are the same in content and layout so that it is easy and convenient for learners to use

In the study, about 71 articles published from 2012 to 2016 are used to analysis the interchangeabilities of synonyms of the verb make

1.6 Significance of the study

Theoretically, the study is hoped to give the readers a comprehensive description of semantic components of a word and understand synonymic definitions

Practically, the study will contribute to helping learners using synonyms correctly with the meaning in context In addition, the study gives some suggestions

in order that translators choose equivalents in Vietnamese when translating

1.7 Design of the study

The study consists of the 5 following parts

Chapter I – Introduction: gives a brief overview of the research with the rationale for choosing the topic of the research, aims, objectives, scope of the research, and the structural organization of the study

Chapter II – Literature Review: reviews the previous studies related to the research topic, a variety of pragmatic concepts most relevant to the research topic

Chapter III – Semantic features and the interchangeability of the verb make

with its synonyms in English articles with reference to the Vietnamese equivalents This chapter focuses on the findings of the study such as

synonymic groups of the verb make, the interchangeability of the verb make

with its synonyms in English articles and the similarities and differences of

the meanings of the verb make in English and Vietnamese

Chapter IV – Applications: Work with some Suggestions for choosing equivalences when translating

Chapter V – Conclusion: summarizes major findings of the study, points out the limitations and proposes some suggestions for further research

Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Previous studies

A large number of scholars discussed about semantic components of a word and synonyms

Ginzburg et al (1979) highlighted that lexical units can be classified by criterion of similarity and contrast in meaning, which are called synonym and antonym respectively According to Ginzburg et al (1979), Words often denote real things, objects, qualities, places, actions and abstract notion People cannot have knowledge or thought about objects, phenomenon or anything else unless they are embodied in words This study does not refer all features of synonyms so that it is difficult for leaners or users define and study synonyms

Dimarco, C & Hirst, G & Stede, M (1993) discussed the semantic and stylistic differentiation of synonyms and near – synonyms This study described nuances and subtleties of denotation and connotation and those illustrated by the examples and focus on synonymy within and across languages This study only gives differences of synonyms and near – synonyms in examples in many languages

Tu (2009) investigated deeply into synonyms and their challenges for year students This study pointed out different aspects of English synonyms To accomplish such targets, the author addressed the issue of using some specific groups of synonyms of the first year students in English Department, College of Foreign Languages, Vietnam National University, then analyzed the result of the test, the errors are picked up and examined for causes and sources Tu also provided some recommendations for preventative and curative measures to help improve first year students use of synonyms

first-Additionally, by collecting and analyzing abundant examples of the verb make in English collocations, as well as their Vietnamese equivalents, Minh (2010) had successfully compared the two verbs, one in English and one in the other language, regarding their semantic features In more details, she divided the

meanings of the verb make into several sub-groups and provided translations for

these different meanings of the verb make, she chose only one meaning for the

Vietnamese word - làm Then, she stated her final conclusions, both about

similarities and differences in the finding section However, she studies on semantic

features of the verb make in English collocations

Therefore, semantic features of the verb make in analysis the

interchangeability with its synonyms has not been dealt with yet Finding out

synonymic groups of the verb make and learning the ways to use meanings of the verb make in the real contexts effectively

2.2 Overview of semantics

2.2.1 Definition of semantics

According to Richmond H Thomason (1996) semantics is the study of the meaning of linguistic expressions The language can be a natural language, such as English or Navajo, or an artificial language, like a computer programming language Meaning in natural languages is mainly studied by linguists In fact, semantics is one of the main branches of contemporary linguistics Theoretical computer scientists and logicians think about artificial languages In some areas of computer science, these divisions are crossed In machine translation, for instance, computer scientists may want to relate natural language texts to abstract representations of their meanings; to do this, they have to design artificial languages for representing meanings

Additionally, there is one idea that can be regarded as the most important subject in contemporary semantics, pointing out that meaningful units could combine with each other systematically to form larger meaningful unitsand that understanding sentences is an appropriate method to work out these combinations Researchers, therefore, are to look for general rules to indicate the relationships between forms or arrangements of words in sentences and meaning It is not an easy job as these relationships are often very complex

2.2.2 Synonyms

lexical units can be classified by criterion of similarity and contrast in meaning,

which are called synonym and antonym respectively According to Ginzburg et al (1979), synonyms are traditionally described as words different in sound-form but identical or similar in meaning This definition is right but does not refer all features

of synonyms so that it is difficult for leaners or users define and study synonyms Moreover, Arnold (1973) noted in The English Word that

synonyms can be defined as two or more words of the same language, which are the same part of speech and possess one or more identical or nearly identical denotative meanings, interchangeable, at least in some contexts without any considerable alteration in denotative meaning, but differ in morphemic composition, phonemic shape, shades of meaning, connotations, style, valency and idiomatic use

This definition can be considered as a full definition of synonyms which shows all features clearly, concretely In comparison between two definitions, it is clear that

the definition of Ginzburg, R S and et al only mentions two features sound-form and meaning of synonyms while the later of Arnold shows all features from range to

define a synonymic group, component semantics, and phonemic shape to interchangeability of synonyms Furthermore, to define whether a group of word is synonymic group, it is based on three criteria of synonyms

2.2.3 Criteria of synonymy

According to English Lexicology, three criteria of synonymy are represented: notional, semantic criteria and the criterion of interchangeability (Antrushina, G B, Afanasyeva, O V, Morozova, N N, 1985) basing on definition given in the previous part

In terms of notional criterion, synonyms are defined as “words of the same category of parts of speech conveying the same notion but differing either in shades

of meaning or in stylistic characteristics” (Antrushina et al., 1985)

In terms of semantic criterion, synonyms may be defined as “words with the same denotation, or the same denotative component, but differing in connotations,

or in connotative components” (Antrushina., et al 1985) Synonyms in research are analysed mainly basing on this criterion

In addition, the criterion of interchangeability is sometimes applied in modern research on synonyms Accordingly, synonyms are defined as “words which are interchangeable at least in some contexts without any considerable alteration in denotation meaning” (Antrushina., et al 1985) These following examples will explain for this:

 My mother cooks some cakes for me every weekend

(Some cakes are made by heating or boiling or frying)

 My mother prepares some cakes for me every weekend

(Some cakes are made and be ready to eat)

 My mother gets some cakes for me every weekend

(Some cakes are made and prepared for a meal)

We can see from these simple examples that each of the synonyms (cook, bake, prepare, get) creates a new situation which clearly differs from the rest that any attempt at “interchanging” anything can only destroy the utterance

We have given three criteria of synonymy with the verb “make” in particular

According to semantic criterion, synonyms will be classified into three types:

ideographic, stylistic and absolute synonyms (Antrushina., et al 1985) The

classification of synonyms may also base on the definition describing synonyms as words differing in connotations This seems to be a more modern and a more effective approach which classifies connotations and differs synonyms from others

2.2.4 The dominant synonymy

In addition, each synonymic group has a central word having the highest frequency in use compared with other its synonyms and presenting the denotaion common to all the synonymic group in the most general way, but not adding any information to such features as manner, intensity, duration and other features of the referent This word is called dominant synonym (Antrushina., et al 1985) Therfore,

as Antrushina and et al refered in “English Lexicology” the meaning of dominant synonym is broad and generalized to cover the meanings of other synonyms in the group, so that it can be substituted for the rest of synonyms However, substitution leads an irreparable loss of the additional information of connotation of each

synonyms in the group In conclusion, it can be underlined four features of dominant synonym as follow: high frequency of usage, broad combinationbility, broad general meaning, lack of connotations (Antrushina., et al 1985)

Here are examples of dominant synonyms in synonymic groups of make The word

make of course, can be considered as dominant synonym of all the following

synonymic groups However, each synonymic group also has a word beyond make

that can be defined more dominant than others based on above definition and features of dominant synonym

 To cause – to result in something – to lead (something) to something - to

create – to make - to produce – to bring something about – to give rise to

something – induce

realize

 To make – to earn – to net – to gross – to profit- to bring (somebody) in

something – to pocket – to pull something in – to rake something in

2.3 Overview of translation theories

According to Cristina, G.T (2008), Translation Studies is an academic discipline that studies the theory and practice of translation It is, by nature, a

with linguistics, cultural studies, philosophy, the information sciences, and so forth Firstly, however, a clear distinction should be made between the notions of translation and Translation Studies Translation Studies is the discipline that deals

with the study of translation, and translation is “a skill, a savoir-faire, that consists

in going through the translating process, and being capable of solving the translation problems that arise in each case” (Hurtado, A., 2001) Translation has been defined

in a countless number of ways According to Mayoral, R (2001), there are as many definitions as there are authors who have written on the subject Such diversity is due to the fact that translation is a multifaceted term

According to Munday (2001) It can refer to:

a) the general subject field

b) the product (the text that has been translated)

c) the process (the act of actually carrying out a translation, otherwise known

as translating)

As a discipline, Translation Studies is also polymorphic There are many different possible fields of study and this polymorphism means that a variety of approaches can be applied Yet this means that the student and the researcher are faced with the problem of where to find accurate information, or what approaches

or authors to start with when setting out on the research path

According to Venuti, L (1998), translation has been marginalized in literary studies because it is supposed not to exist as a legitimate mode of textual transformation; this marginalizing is institutionalized in copyright law, which does little but obscure the activity of translators and encourage the current imbalance in translation flows

2.4 The semantic features of the verb make

2.4.1 Denotation of the verb make

Each word has its own meaning that can be more or less described as a component of the word through which a concept is communicated Words often denote real things, objects, qualities, places, actions and abstract notion People cannot have knowledge or thought about objects, phenomenon or anything else unless they are embodied in words (Ginzburg., et al 1979) This function of word is denotative component of meaning or denotation of a word

Based on denotations of make searched from Oxford Advance’s Learner dictionary, it can be defined that there are nineteen denotations of make used to

identify synonymic groups of this word According to Oxford Learner’s Thesaurus,

the verb make will be analysed to illustrate for this as follows:

i Denotation of causing something exist or happen Synonyms for this

denotation are to create, to produce, to build, to generate

To create: To create something new that did not exist before

To produce: To create something by using skill

To build: To create a way of life or an impression that you develop or improve over

a period of time

To generate: To create or produce power, money or ideas

ii Denotation of creating or preparing something from parts of material

Synonyms for this denotation are to do, to form

To do: To make or prepare something, especially something artistic or something to

eat

To form: To make something from something

iii Denotation of causing something happens as a result of breaking, tearing,

hitting or removing material This denotation contains synonyms: to cause,

to result in something, to lead (something) to something, to produce, to bring (something) about, to give rise to something, to create, to induce

To cause: To cause something bad or unpleasant

To result in something: To cause situation, the loss or increase of something

To lead (something) to something: To be the reason why something happens

To produce: To cause a particular result or reaction

To bring (something) about: To cause something to change over a period of time or

in a number of stage

To give rise to something: To allow something to happen or come into existence

To create: To produce a particular feeling or impression

To induce: To cause effect of such as medicine, disease or injury has on the body

iv Denotation of writing, creating or preparing something or making a design

for something The group of synonyms of this denotation includes to plan,

to design, to formulate

To plan: To make a design or outline for a thing, piece of writing or plan of action

To design: To think of or plan a system or way of doing something

To formulate: To create or prepare something carefully, giving particular attention

to the details

v Denotation of putting somebody in a situation in which they have to do

something, especially something they do not want to do “To force, to oblige,

to compel, to drive and to impel “are synonyms of to make

To force: To put somebody in a situation in which they have to do something that

they do not want to do

To oblige: To force somebody to do something by law, because it is a duty

To compel: To use authority to force somebody to do something and make it

necessary

To drive: To force somebody to act in a particular way, often in an extreme way

To impel: To be forced to do something by a feeling or idea; especially one that

seems to beyond one’s control

vi Denotation of getting money, especially by working or doing business The

group of synonyms include earn, profit, net, bring (somebody) in something, gross, pocket, pull something in, rake something in

To earn: to get money as payment for work that you do, or as profit or interest on

money that you lend or invest

To profit: To make money from activity

To net”: To make an amount of money as profit after you have paid tax on it

To Bring somebody in something: To earn or produce money

To gross : To make an amount of money as profit before you have paid tax on it

To pocket: To earn or win an amount of money

To pull something in : to make or earn a lot of money

To rake (something) in: To earn or make a lot of money, especially when this is

done easily

vii Denotation of creating or preparing something by combining materials or

parts together The group of synonyms: to cook – to fix – to brew – to prepare – to get

To cook: To cook food by heating, boiling and frying it

To fix: To provide or prepare something, specially food or drink

To brew: To make a hot drink of tea or coffee

To prepare: To make food ready to be eaten

To get: To prepare a meal

viii Denotation of causing somebody/something to do something The group of

synonyms includes to lead – to prompt – to motivate – to induce – to predispose

To lead: To be the reason why somebody does/thinks st

To prompt: To be the reason why somebody decides to do something

To motivate: To be the reason why somebody decides to do something or behaves in

a particular way

To induce: To persuade or influence somebody to do something

To predispose: To influence somebody so that they are likely to think or behave in a

particular way

ix Denotation of gaining an amount of money by selling something The group

of synonyms consists of to raise – to fetch – to bring (somebody) in something – get – realize

To raise: To collect money for something, by selling something, borrowing money

or asking people to give it

To get: To gain an amount of money by selling something

To fetch: To be sold for a particular amount of money

To bring (somebody) in something: To gain an amount of money by selling

something

To realize: To be sold for a particular amount of money

2.4.2 Connotation of the verb make

Besides, when a word is used, it also communicates the feeling and attitude of speaker, which is known as connotative component or connotation of a word According to “the English word” by Arnold connotation of each word depends on certain circumstances, style, speaker’s emotion and degree of intensity Connotation

of a word also conveys about the speaker’s attitude to the social circumstances and the appropriate functional style as well as speaker’s emotions or degree of intensity

(Arnold, 1973) For example, make and create both mean to cause something to exist or happen, but create refers new thing that did not exist before, which shows

evaluative connotation This is known as difference in connotation among words called synonyms in a group

Make has nineteen denotations, but only nine of them have synonymic groups

Thus, there are nine synonymic groups of the verb make and are classified into five

types of connotations

 The stylistic connotation

2.5 The semantic features of the verb làm

Generally, like other Vietnamese verbs, làm refers to an action, an activity, a

progress, an impression and feeling, a change, a state, etc…

Làm is used by Vietnamese people in everyday communication in many

contexts and usages In this section, the meanings of the verb làm are given

Semantic features have been collected on the basis of Từ Điển Tiếng Việt (2006) The data for the realization of these semantic features are illustrated with the examples cited verbatim from this dictionary and stories

 Làm conveys the meaning of produce or create something

Like the verb make in English, làm in Vietnamese also denotes the act of

producing or creating something that is non-existent before

For example:

“Đã lâu, người mình làm thơ hầu hết chỉ làm những bài tám câu, mỗi câu bẩy chữ.”

“Họ ước mong làm được một ngôi nhà gỗ tốt, có một cuộc sống yên bình.”

Here are some more examples: Chim làm tổ, làm cơm, làm thí nghiệm, làm

thơ, làm nên lịch sử…

 Làm conveys the meaning of cause a state or situation

First, we can use làm to reflect the state or situation caused by somebody/something For example: Làm đổ cây, làm hỏng việc, làm náo động, làm

Here are some more examples: Làm vui lòng, làm khó dễ , làm ngạc nhiên,

làm xước, làm yếu, etc

 Làm conveys the meaning of be or become

This sense of meaning in Vietnamese is similar to that in English Làm can

indicate the state of being or becoming

For example:

“Nhà tôi nó mới về làm bạn với tôi đấy u ạ!”

“Sau này, nếu Mĩ-Diệm giết anh, Tnú phải làm cán bộ thay anh Không học chữ làm sao làm được cán bộ giỏi.”

“Chúng đặt ra hàng trăm thứ thuế vô lí, làm cho dân ta, nhất là dân cày và dân buôn, trở nên bần cùng.”

“Tình yêu làm đất lạ hóa quê hương.”

Here are some more examples: Làm duyên làm dáng, làm bạn, làm biếng, làm

thân, làm đỏm, làm gương, làm mối, làm mồi, làm người, làm vua, làm trai, etc

 Làm conveys the meaning of work

Probably, this is the most popular meaning of the verb làm in Vietnamese With this sense, làm denotes the act of working to earn money to survive

For example:

“Hắn xăm xăm chạy ra giữa sân, hắn cũng muốn làm một việc gì để dự phần

tu sửa lại căn nhà.”

“…Không biết có phải vì mới làm dâu mà thị tu chí làm ăn không?‟

“Vợ anh đi làm mướn, đi cấy, đi gặt để lấy công”

“Con gái, con trai bằng tuổi chúng ta

Cần cù làm lụng”

Here are some more examples: Làm ở nhà máy, đến giờ đi làm, làm ruộng,

làm nghề dạy học, làm công, làm mướn, etc

 Làm conveys the meaning of do or carry out

Làm can mean to do or carry out a certain job

Moreover, Làm can denote the act of making effort to carry out something

with a particular purpose

For example:

“Té ra người nông dân nước mình vẫn có thể làm cách mạng, mà làm cách mạng hăng hái lắm.”

Here are some more examples: Làm nên sự nghiệp; dám nghĩ dám làm, làm

bài tập, làm nghĩa vụ, làm vườn, làm ngầm, etc

 Làm conveys the meaning of organize or hold a formal ceremony

Different form the verb make in English, làm in Vietnamese can convey the

meaning of carrying out or holding a formal event when this verb combines with certain nouns in Vietnamese

For example: Làm lễ khánh thành, làm lễ chào cờ, làm đám cưới, làm ma chay,

làm lễ ra quân, etc

 Làm conveys the meaning of pretend

In Vietnamese, làm can be understood as to pretend to be, which means that

someone tries to behave differently in certain situations and this behavior does not reflect his/her true nature

For example: Làm ra vẻ thông thạo, làm như không quen biết, làm ngơ, làm ra

vẻ ta đây, etc

 Làm conveys the meaning of be added together

Làm can indicate a quantitative result or the result of either combination or

separation

For example:

“Đám tảng, đám hòn chia làm ba hàng chặn ngang trên song đòi ăn chết cái thuyền.”

Here are some more examples: Tách làm đôi, gộp chung làm một, etc

 Làm conveys the meaning of kill

Different from the verb make in English, làm in Vietnamese can convey the

meaning of killing an animal for food

For example: Làm lợn, làm vài con gà đãi khách, làm thịt, etc

 Làm conveys the meaning of serve as something, be used as something or be

regarded as something

Làm can also be used to describing the use of something

For example:

‘…ít khi nhờ Xuân Diệu, Huy Cận đứng làm trung gian…”

Làm gương cho mọi người, trồng làm cảnh, chiếm làm của riêng, lấy đêm làm ngày, câu chuyện làm quà, làm mẫu, etc

 Làm conveys the meaning of round something up or down

Làm can mean to increase/ decrease a figure, price, etc to the nearest whole

number

For example:

Làm tròn đến đơn vị là 184, làm tròn đến hàng chục là 180m, làm tròn số, làm tròn tiền là hai mươi nghìn, etc

 Làm conveys the meaning of prepare

Làm can mean to prepare for doing something

For example:

“Kể có ra làm được dăm ba mâm thì phải đấy, nhưng nhà mình nghèo, cũng chả ai người ta chấp nhặt chi cái lúc này.”

Làm mùa, làm đất, làm rẫy, làm cỗ, làm cơm, làm bánh, etc

 Làm conveys the meaning of calculate

Làm can also mean to calculate

For example:

Cha tôi dạy tôi làm toán

 Làm conveys the meaning of earn

Similarly the verb make in English, the verb làm can also mean to earn like the example làm tiền, kiếm tiền

In addition to the basic meanings of the verb làm mentioned above, we discover some minor ones in the following examples: Làm tóc, làm đầu… In these examples, làm means to style the hair of somebody In the phrase làm nhục, làm can

convey the meaning of humiliating or raping somebody

2.6 The setting of the study

The study is conducted with references from diverse reliable sources such as dictionaries, newspapers There are 71 articles published 2012 to 2016 used in this

study Articles used to collect sentences including the verb make in order to analyze interchangeabilities of the verb make with its synonyms They focus on many field

such as technology, culture, social life, politics, business, food, science, travel, health, etc

2.7 Summary

In brief, this chapter has reviewed previous studies relating to the research area and theoretical background that is employed for conducting the whole graduation study The theory relating to semantic unity has been used as a foundation for analyzing semantic features of the verb In terms of theoretical background, all aspects relating to idiom such as definition of synonyms, the criteria

of synonyms, the semantic features of the verb and analyze examples to make it

clearer, especially examples are synonyms of the word make, which are also the

main issues studied in this project

Chapter 3: SEMANTIC FEATURES AND THE INTERCHANGEABILITY

OF THE VERB MAKE WITH ITS SYNONYMS IN ENGLISH ARTICLES

WITH REFERENCE TO THE VIETNAMESE EQUIVALENTS

In this chapter, synonymic groups of the verb make will be given according to

types of connotations In this section theories in Chapter 2 will be demonstrated through sentences quoted in articles, which shows different denotations and

connotations of the verb make These denotations and connotations are also studied with synonyms of make With each denotation of make, it has one synonymic group

that is a separated part analyzed in detail to show the similarity in a denotation and

connotation of a synonym and make Besides, the criterion of interchangeability is

also referred when considering connotation of each synonym in real context This

chapter also show the comparison between the meanings of the verb make in

English and their Vietnamese equivalents

3.1 Synonymic groups of the verb make

3.1.1 The evaluative connotation

The evaluative connotation conveys the speaker's attitude towards the referent,

labelling it as good or bad So in the synonymic group of make to cause- to result

something in – to lead (something) to something – to bring something about – to give rise to something - to create- to produce All of them denote to cause

something as a result of breaking, tearing, hitting or removing material, but the verb

to cause denotes to make something happen, especially something bad or

unpleasant; to produce – cause a particular result or effect Others also show

different attitudes about causes which make different results

“In the group to produce — to create — to manufacture– to build– to generate, the verb to create characterises the process as inspired and noble To manufacture means "to produce in a mechanical way without inspiration or originality" Thus, to

create can be said to have a positive evaluative connotation, and to manufacture is a

negative one” (Antrushina., et al 1985)

3.1.2 The causative connotation

This type of connotations denotes different reasons which cause different

actions The causative connotation can be showed by the group to lead – to prompt

– to motivate – to induce - to predispose You can see in the previous part, all verbs

denote to cause somebody/something to do or decide something, but the reasons

which cause actions are different The verb to lead – cause as part of a process of understanding something, while to prompt – reason of an event or experience

The verbs to cause - to result something in – to produce – to lead (something) to

something – to bring something about – to give rise to something – to create – to induce also mention different ways to cause something to exist, or happen

3.1.3 The connotation of manner

Antrushina., et al (1985) noted that the connotation of manner can be singled out in some groups of verbal synonyms The verbs to raise – to fetch – to bring

somebody in something - to get – to realize mention different ways to gain an

amount of money The verb to raise mentioned to gain money by selling something, borrowing money or asking people to give it, to fetch, to realize denote to be sold for a particular amount of money; to bring somebody in something and to get mean

to collect money by selling something

The verbs in a synonymic group of “make” to cook - to fix – to brew – to

prepare – to get all denote different ways and types of cooking To cook – make

food by heating, boiling or frying; to fix- provide or prepare food or drink; to brew- make beer, make a hot drink of tea or coffee; to prepare – make by mixing different

things

It can be seen in the previous part, this type connotation can be illustrated by some groups of following synonyms:

The verbs to do – to form describe different ways to prepare or make

something; to do – make or prepare something, especially something artistic or something to eat, to form – make something from something

The verbs to plan – to design – to formulate also show different to make a

something such as by writing or outline

3.1.4 The connotation of attendant features

The verbs to raise – to fetch – to bring somebody in something - to get – to

realize mention different features of gaining money by selling something To raise –

collecting money, to bring (somebody) in something – making money or a particular amount of money, while others words to fetch, to get and to realize can show that

making a particular amount of money

The verbs to earn – to bring somebody in something - to net – to gross – to

pull something in – to profit – to pocket – to rake something in denote different

features of earning money To earn characterizes getting money as payment for work that you do, or as profit or interest on money that you lend or invest, to profit means making money from activity, to net denote making an amount of money as profit after you have paid tax on it, while to gross means making an amount of money as profit before you have paid tax on it; to pocket describe winning an amount of money

The verbs to force – to drive – to oblige - to compel – to impel also have this

connotation, this group describes features of forcing somebody to do something

3.1.5 The stylistic connotation

The verbs to prepare – to get – to fix have the stylistic connotation The verb

to prepare is used especially written, while to get and to fix usually in spoken

Those are five types of connotation of synonyms of make However, according

to Antrushina., et al (1985), connotations are classified into 9 types We also four other types are the connotation of degree or intensity, the co`nnotation of duration, the emotive connotation and the connotation of attendant circumstances

3.2 The interchangeability of the verb make with its synonyms in English

articles

This section will be demonstrated through sentences quoted in English articles,

which shows different denotations and connotations of make These denotations and connotations are also studied with synonyms of make With each denotation of

make, it has one synonymic group that is a separated part analyzed in detail to show

the similarity in a denotation and connotation of a synonym and make Besides, the

criterion of interchangeability is also referred when considering connotation of each synonym in real context According to Oxford Advance’s Learner dictionary, interchangeability is defined that the fact that things can be exchanged, especially

without affecting the way in which something works Make has nineteen

denotations, but only nine of them have synonymic groups Thus, this section is divided into two parts as follow: Denotations with synonyms and denotations without synonyms Therefore, interchangeability is only mentioned in parts

analyzing synonyms of make

3.2.1 Denotations with synonyms:

3.2.1.1 Denotation of causing something exist or happen

Synonyms for this denotation are to create, to produce, to build, and to generate

with evaluative connotation

 To create

Two sentences below are typical examples illustrating that the verb make

conveys the connotation of creating a new thing that did not exist before

“Certain genes switch on, and the cell makes new proteins that are put into a

blob called a vesicle.” ( Carl, Z., 2014)

“Team Obama needs to get more healthy young people to sign up for health

care to make the numbers work” (Rem, R., 2014)

In these sentences the writers want to convey the information about existence

of such new things as new proteins and numbers works Both sentences have positive evaluative connotation as new things are created actively and are expected

results With this denotation and connotation, the verb to create can replace to make

without changing the meaning in context

 To produce

Another connotation of make which is creating something by using skill will

be explored by the following sentences With this connotation, to produce can be considered as a synonym of make in these cases

“Italy already successfully makes high-end goods from luxury clothes to food and small electronics.” (Danilo, M & Francesca, P, 2014)

“He said that ZTE handsets used chips and software made by American companies.” (Brian, X C., 2014)

In the first sentence make conveys meaning that such high-end goods as

clothes, food, and small electronics are produced to be sold on the market in Italy

In this case make means that Italy produces these high-end products actively and inspiredly Therefore, make shows positive evaluative connotation On the other hand, the verb make in the latter one adds more formation about origin of chips and

innocents to make a political point.” (John, K.,2013)

“For Robertson’s recipe, I made the whole shebang from scratch” (Joe, Y.,

2014)

In this context, make conveys the meaning that it takes so much effort and

time to build up a political point from difficulty and the whole shebang from scratch

To have the whole shebang without nothing at the beginning, it is necessary to have

a period of time to develop it The positive evaluative connotation is found in both sentences when the writers imply the effort to develop a new thing Because of

conveying the same connotation, the verb to build can be considered as a substitution for to make without changing the meaning in this context

 To generate

Furthermore, make has connotation of creating or producing power, money or

ideas as in the following examples

“It has long been an axiom of infrastructure planning that it takes a lot of

water to make electricity, and a lot of electricity to make water” (Kevin, F., 2016)

“Carbon capture experts say two important projects will open soon in North America: the “Southern Company’s Kemper County plant in Mississippi, which

will burn coal to make electricity and provide carbon dioxide for oil recovery, and

the Boundary Dam coal plant in Saskatchewan, which will do the same.” (Matthew,

L W., 2013)

In these sentences, to make means to generate or produce electricity from other energy such as water or coal To make has positive evaluative connotation as it refers the new power that is useful and indispensable in the life Thus, the verb to

generate is suitable to use as a substitution for to make in this context because it can

convey the meaning completely both in denotation and connotation

3.2.1.2 Denotation of creating or preparing something from parts of material Synonyms for this denotation are to do, to form with connotation of manner

 To do

Exploring the connotation of making or preparing something, especially

something artistic or something to eat with the synonym to do through examples

blow:

“We also make homemade jam for the holiday.” (Rhea, K Y., 2014) or “I plan

to make at least a few batches and to try my hand at kita” (Rhea, K Y., 2014)

“To make such scenes feel genuine, Mr Page and the other actors relied on

one another for confidence as they experimented — sometimes successfully, sometimes not — with their voices and body language” (Patrick, H., 2014)

In the first sentences, make is used when the writer wants to refer the food,

which means it this necessary to combine ingredients together to cook a food

successfully This is the reason why make in this case has connotation of manner In

the second sentence, to make means to do a life acting, to bring a real feeling to the

The verb to make is used in passive form to show the meaning that grass-fed

meat is ingredient to form pet food This connotation can be found normally when the writer wants to refer ingredients or components of something For example, “He adds sunflower oil, salt and coriander to the flour and water that make up most of the kosher- certified matzoh sold at the grocery store” (Rhea, K Y., 2014) Here, it’s clear that he mixes ingredients together to have the final product – matzoh In

comparison with other synonyms in this group, the verb to form is the best substitution for to make in this context, which can convey full both denotation and connotation of make

3.2.1.3 Denotation of causing something happen as a result of breaking, tearing,

hitting or removing material

This denotation contains synonyms: to cause, to result in something, to lead (something) to something, to produce, to bring (something) about, to give rise to something, to create, to induce This group conveys causative connotation, but

in some case make can be substituted by synonyms such as to produce and to induce also has evaluative connotation

 To cause

The connotation of causing something bad or unpleasant is indicated through bad situation in the sentences below with causative connotation showing the cause

of situation

“Above all, using force would make the president “own” the Syrian tragedy.”

(Michael, I., 2014)

The meaning Michael wants to convey through make in this sentence is that

using force would cause tragedy in Syria, which is bad result of using wrong method to control current situation in Syria

With the same connotation, “The United States is in danger of making a bad situation in Haiti even worse.” (Brent, S, Eric D K M, 2016) The verb make in this

sentence also refers an unpleasant situation the United State causes in Haiti The

synonym to cause can be used as a substitution for make and convey full meaning in

context in these sentences

 To create

With causative connotation, make also conveys the connotation of producing a

particular feeling or impression, which are proved by following examples

“Maybe it’s the simplicity of those foods that has made the Passover table a

palette for innovation — and is the reason I hadn’t thought up a single twist that hadn’t already been done.” (Rhea, K Y., 2014)

“CPAC doesn’t make any pretension of speaking for the party, but we’re seeing these fluid debates and there is no clear consensus,” said former U.S Sen Fred Thompson “The attitude here is: Let a thousand flowers bloom.” (Editorial board, 2014)

In the first sentence, a palette for innovation on the Passover table is the result

of the simplicity of food The simplicity of foods makes the Passover table special

and innovative, which demonstrates evaluative connotation of make Moreover, in

the second sentence, it can be understood that no pretension is created during the

speaking in the party This connotation is also found in create, so create can be a substitution for make in this context

 To result something in

The verb make not only means causing bad situation, but also conveys the

connotation of causing situation that is the loss or increase of something, which is causative connotation

“The Global CCS Institute’s report, referring to carbon capture and sequestration, found that “while C.C.S projects are progressing, the pace is well

below the level required for C.C.S to make a substantial contribution to climate

change mitigation.” (Matthew, L W., 2013)

The verb make shows the results of previous action In this context, a

substantial contribution to climate change mitigation is the result of the well pace

The phrase result in can be considered as a substitution in this context as it causes

no change in connotation and conveys full meaning in context

 To lead (something) to something with the connotation of being the reason

why something happens

Besides, make sometimes emphasizes the reason why something happens and

it can be replaced with the synonymous phrase to lead (something) to something

having causative connotation

“But while the drug may produce cognitive improvement that is statistically significant in a clinical trial, “it’s not clear that it’s big enough for a caregiver to

even notice, or big enough to make a difference in a patient’s quality of life,” Dr

Lee said” (Paula, S., 2014)

“This, in turn, will increase the number of refugees, threatening to make the

proposed offshore processing of them an insurmountable task.” (Brent, S, Eric D K

M, 2016)

With the verb make the writers want to refer the reason causing a difference in

patient’s life in the first sentence This connotation is also found in the latter, the increase of the number of refugees leads the proposed offshore process to an

insurmountable task Here, the phrase lead to something can replace make without

causing any considerable alteration in this meaning in context

 To produce with the connotation of causing a particular result or reaction

In addition to connotation of being the reason why something happens, make

also conveys the meaning of causing a particular result or reaction

“The idea, in Robin Robertson’s new “More Quick-Fix Vegan,” makes perfect

sense: Any hearty leaves can find a home in this set of flavors, which are good any

time of year but especially appealing as we continue the long wait for spring.” (Joe, Y., 2014)

“Mr Birney recalled having a hard time making peace with how he looked as

 To bring something about

Moreover, make and its synonym to bring something about have the same

connotation of causing something to change over a period of time or in a number of stage:

“Republicans say that by framing the abortion debate in terms of fiscal

conservatism, they can make a connection to the issue they believe will ultimately

decide who controls Congress next year — the Affordable Care Act.” (Jeremy, P,

 To give rise to something

With the same connotation of allowing something to happen or come into

existence, the phrase to give rise to something is considered as a synonym of make

and can replace it in some contexts

“About a quarter of Latvia’s 2 million people are ethnically Russian, but

Latvian voters in 2012 rejected a referendum that would have made Russian the

country’s second official language.” (Griff, W., 2014) With this sentence, the connotation is shown clearly that Russian is not allowed to use as the country’s

second official language after a referendum As both make and phrase to to give rise

to something have causative connotation, it can be used this phrase as a substitution

for make without changing the meaning in context

 To induce

With connotation of causing effect of such as medicine, disease or injury has

on the body, make in the following sentences has both causative and evaluative

connotations when it refers negative or positive effects

“Some struggle with medical issues – like insomnia – that make sleep hard”

(Amy, H & Andrew, P., 2012)

“Or we may believe that caffeine compensates for lost sleep While it can make us more alert, as shown in a study on Navy SEALs, it does not restore all mental function.” (Amy, H & Andrew, P., 2012)

In two above sentences, the state of sleep hard or alert is effect after using medical or caffeine It can be understood that using medical or other substances can cause some effects that may be positive or negative With the same connotation, the

verb to induce can replace make without altering meaning in context

3.2.1.4 Denotation of writing, creating or preparing something or making a

design for something

The group of synonyms of this denotation includes to plan, to design, to formulate with connotation of manner

 To plan:

These following examples with make will illustrate for the connotation of

making a design or outlining for a thing, piece of writing or plan of action

“Police were called to Los Angeles Times late Friday evening after someone

made the report of a gunman in the building.” (Times staff report, 2014)

“Angelina Jolie was ready to step behind the cameras again Her directing debut, "In the Land of Blood and Honey," hadn't been a box-office or critical hit,

but making the 2011 Bosnian war drama had fueled her desire to become a

filmmaker “(Horn, J., 2014)

In these sentences, the writers use make to express the manner to create things

mentioned The report is created by a piece of writing and the plans for acting in Bosnian war dramma and the future of television are also indicated in the remaining

sentences Therefore, to plan can be interchangeable with to make without

destroying its meaning and writers’ intention

 To design:

Considering these sentences, the connotation of thinking of or plan a system or way of doing something or deciding how something will look, working by drawing plans, making model will be indicated:

“She recalled her 4-year-old daughter's school project to make a poster about

how her family helps make the world a better place “(Vean, M., 2014) “Once he

made his first prototype, Lee realized that the guitar pickup, when stuck on an oil

can, "provides a very unique tone."” (Graham, J., 2014)

The writers intend that poster and prototype mentioned in both sentences are designed by drawing or painting and making models respectively Hence, the verb

to make can be replaced by to design in this context because of the similar

connotation

 To formulate:

The connotation of creating or preparing something carefully or giving particular attention to the details will be explored in these examples: “There was

speculation that Ferrari might fare better this year after Formula One made several

rules changes for the cars “(Peltz, J., 2014) “It was public opinion that the Smiths

ought to be killed, and public opinion made the laws." (Martelle, S., 2014) In

these context, changes in rules and laws were created and prepared carefully They

are changes in details so that they can be given in public Therefore, to make can be interchangeable with to formulate in this context because of the same connotation of

manner and denotation but not destroying the writer’s intention

3.2.1.5 Denotation of putting somebody in a situation in which they have to do

something, especially something they do not want to do

“To force, to oblige, to compel, to drive and to impel” are synonyms of to make

with connotation of attendant features

 To force:

These following sentences will be explored for the connotation of putting somebody in a situation in which they have to do something that they do not want to do.: “Virgin America has a five-minute video in which a dancing, singing flight attendant tells passengers (including a noncompliant nun) to "turn off your electronic devices as fast as you can and whatever you do don't make me ask you again." (Forgione, M., 2014)

“Each time he complied, but he was determined to make me ask again at each class.” (Marx, P., 1987) The writers in these cases intend that somebody is put or forced by pressure to ask others although they do not want We can see that the

same denotation and connotation allows the verb to make be replaced by to force in

this such case

 To oblige:

Another connotation is forcing somebody to do something by law, because it

is a duty After conducting research, we found that to make conveying this connotation is rarely used in the style of journals As a result, the verb to make can not absolutely be be replaced by to oblige

 To compel:

Considering this following example, the connotation of using authority to force somebody to do something and making it necessary will be indicated: “The Angels also made roster move before Friday night’s game, recalling reliever Josh Wall from triple-A Salt Lake and sending left-hander Jose Alvarez, who had been working out of the bullpen, back to triple-A to get some starts.” (DiGiovanna, M., 2014) In this context, the writers intend that The Angels use their authority to force

roster move and they make it necessary for them to do that Therefore, to make can