9 - Semantics Flashcards
What is semantics?
The study of the meaning of words, phrases and sentences
What is referential meaning?
Basic, essential components of meaning as described or defined e.g. in dictionaries
What is associative/emotive meaning?
Feelings or reactions to words (associations; emotional response) by individuals or groups
What is the agent in a sentence?
- Entity that performs the action
- Typically human but also non-human (other creatures; forces of nature)
- e.g. ‘the boy’ kicked the ball
What is the theme in a sentence?
- Entity that is involved in or affected by the action
- e.g. the boy kicked ‘the ball’
What is the instrument in a sentence?
- Entity used by an agent to perform an action
- In English often preceded by ‘with’
- e.g. he drew a picture with ‘a pencil’
What is the experiencer in a sentence?
- Entity that has the feeling, perception or state described by the verb e.g. feel, know, enjoy
- e.g. are ‘you’ enjoying your holiday?, perhaps the wolf feels lonely
What is the location in a sentence?
- Where the entity is situated
- e.g. in the room, under the table
What is the source in a sentence?
- From where the entity is moving
- e.g. (driving) from London
What is the goal in a sentence?
- Where the entity is moving to
- e.g. (driving) to Manchester, (moving) back home
What are synonyms?
- 2 or more words with closely related meanings
- Interchangable in some instances
What are antonyms?
Words with opposite meanings
What are gradable antonyms?
- Opposites along a scale
- Used in comparative constructions e.g. he is smaller than me
- Negative of 1 member of the pair isn’t always the other member e.g. my car isn’t old doesn’t mean my car is new
What are non-gradable antonyms?
Negative of 1 member of the pair means the same as the other member e.g. married / single, true / false
What are reversive antonyms?
Meaning of 1 member of the pair = the other member e.g. enter / exit, dress / undress
