Theory of descent with slow modification in Darwin’s on The origin of species

a semantic analysis

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the meanings of the term descent with slow modification in the book On the origin of species by means of natural selection by the british naturalist Charles Darwin through its Semantic Domain of Determination (SDD). This term was replaced by the expression theory of evolution in the sixth and final edition of the work, marking the only point where the word evolution replaces another term in the entire production of the English naturalist. The analysis of descent with slow modification and its replacement makes it possible to understand the determinations of meaning attributed to the Theory of Evolution in the book. Additionally, we will analyze the terms descendant, modification, and slow in the exact text to verify how these expressions function independently. The proposed analysis method is based on the Event Semantics, as developed by Eduardo Guimarães in his book Semântica do acontecimento (2002). In order to elucidate the slowly changing meanings of the term descent in the work, the intention is to examine its semantic-enunciative functioning and its relationship with other terms throughout the work.