Chapter 4 semantics: the meanings of language Flashcards
Semantics
The study of linguistic meanings of morphemes, words, phrases and sentence
Lexical semantics
meanings of morphemes + words (phrasal semantics)
Pragmatics
how context affects meaning
Intension
formal definition, semantic properties that define
ex: city with provincial legislature
extension
reference, applicability
ex: Quebec City
Denotation
meaning attached to a word, but doesn’t have reference
ex: King of France=no referents, but not meaningless
Connotation
set of associations
ex: Winter in Canada vs Winter in California = different connotation
Homonyms
pronounced the same + may or may not be spelled identically
Words have different meanings
ex: bat (baseball) bat (animal)
ex: tale-tail
Homograph
May or may not be pronounced identically + spelled identically
Polysemy
word with multiple meanings
ex: wood=substance from a tree or forest
ex: paper= assignment or sheet of paper
Synonym
words that mean the same thing
ex: sofa, couch, chesterfield
Analytic sentences
Linguistic definitions
ex: Ophthalmologists are doctors
Synthetic sentences
Real-world experience
ex: Ophthalmologists are wealthy.
Paraphrase
2 sentences that convey the same info
entailment
one sentence implies the truth of another
ex: Mary was assassinated = Mary is dead
Contradiction
One sentence is true, the other is false.
Anomaly
Violation of semantic rules
ex: The verb crumpled the milk = is structurally fine but semantically is not
Semantic properties
Features words share
ex: Man = +human -object +animate +male
Redundancy rules
problem with features
=animate =redundant; +animate is implied by +human
Shortcomings
No definitive set of features proposed
difficult to apply throughout vocabulary
no futher analysis
Prototype theory
solution to problematic features
Not based on binary features
consider features typical to the concept.
Lexical field
related meaning between a group of word
ex: cup, mug, plastic cup, goblet = vessels from which one drinks
Markedness distinction
Less common, less frequently used
ex: blue, red, yellow = less marked
indigo, saffron = marked
Thematic roles
1- Agent
2-Theme
3- Source
4- goal
5-location
6-instrument
7-experiencer
8-causative
9-Possessor
*the subject can be anything (not necessarily an agent)
Pragmatics
interpretation of linguistic meaning in context
situational context
Conversational maxims
Cooperative principle
3 components of Utterances
1-locutionary act (meaning)
2-illocutionnary act (force)
3-Prelocutionary act (effects)
Deixis
words or expressions= space and time
Person-time-place
