The Attitudinal Functions of Transferred Epithet in English

This article gives a detailed analysis of the attitudinal functions of transferred epithet in English language. It shows that transferred epithet can express Affect, Judgment and Appreciation which are mainly achieved by transferred words.Besides, transferred epithet may carry two attitudinal functions. This is because as a contemporary collocation between a thing and an epithet, its transferred word not only describes the property of the thing before the transference is made but also the property of that in the current collation. Furthermore the attitudinal functions of transferred epithet are closely related to its categories. That is, Affect is typically realized by those which involve transferred words being transferred from feelings to things, whereas Judgment and Appreciation are conveyed by those which include transferred words being shifted from nonfeelings to things.