ENGLISH 1101: Composition
Definition Essay: Surnames, Denotative and Connotative Meanings
Dr. Flail
Names are important, perhaps more important than we realize. Names are also words, whose meaning can be multifaceted and can change over time. Words often have multiple shades of meaning. Typically every word has a denotative meaning, which is its literal everyday meaning, and a connotative meaning, which consists of our associations with the word. For example, the denotative meaning of “a black hat” is a black-colored garment worn on the head. The connotative meaning of “a black hat” suggests “the bad guy” or even a devious computer hacker. Our names are no less complex.
This assignment requires students to write an essay about their surname from a more objective point of view than the last essay. In this essay, your thesis statement should argue that your surname has a range of meanings; your body paragraphs should provide examples of the denotative meaning (the literal meaning), the connotative meaning (attitudes toward the word and/or figurative usages), and, if necessary, well-known figures who share your name and shape people’s attitudes toward it. Find examples of usages relevant to your surname in dictionaries as well as popular sources.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
• How is the term defined in an academic dictionary or as dictionary of surnames like the Oxford English Dictionary or The American Heritage Dictionary? Look for the “etymology” (or history of the word’s meaning over time). These dictionary resources are available online through Galileo on our ATC library homepage.
• How old is the term? From what language is it originally derived? Does it reveal anything about your family’s origins? Be sure to cite the sources you have used to find this information in the text of your essay.
• Conclude your essay by revisiting the ideas presented in your thesis and reflect on how your understanding of your surname had been broadened. For more information on brainstorming for a Definition Essay and the sources you may use, please see the handout “Definition Rewriting Diagram.”
This essay should be no less than five paragraphs and sources must be cited in the text of the essay according to MLA style. See the Perdue Online Writing Lab for more info.
