Chapter 4 semantics: the meanings of language

Question 1

Semantics

Answer 1

The study of linguistic meanings of morphemes, words, phrases and sentence

Question 2

Lexical semantics

Answer 2

meanings of morphemes + words (phrasal semantics)

Question 3

Pragmatics

Answer 3

how context affects meaning

Question 4

Intension

Answer 4

formal definition, semantic properties that define
ex: city with provincial legislature

Question 5

extension

Answer 5

reference, applicability
ex: Quebec City

Question 6

Denotation

Answer 6

meaning attached to a word, but doesn’t have reference
ex: King of France=no referents, but not meaningless

Question 7

Connotation

Answer 7

set of associations
ex: Winter in Canada vs Winter in California = different connotation

Question 8

Homonyms

Answer 8

pronounced the same + may or may not be spelled identically
Words have different meanings
ex: bat (baseball) bat (animal)
ex: tale-tail

Question 9

Homograph

Answer 9

May or may not be pronounced identically + spelled identically

Question 10

Polysemy

Answer 10

word with multiple meanings
ex: wood=substance from a tree or forest
ex: paper= assignment or sheet of paper

Question 11

Synonym

Answer 11

words that mean the same thing
ex: sofa, couch, chesterfield

Question 12

Analytic sentences

Answer 12

Linguistic definitions
ex: Ophthalmologists are doctors

Question 13

Synthetic sentences

Answer 13

Real-world experience
ex: Ophthalmologists are wealthy.

Question 14

Paraphrase

Answer 14

2 sentences that convey the same info

Question 15

entailment

Answer 15

one sentence implies the truth of another
ex: Mary was assassinated = Mary is dead

Question 16

Contradiction

Answer 16

One sentence is true, the other is false.

Question 17

Anomaly

Answer 17

Violation of semantic rules
ex: The verb crumpled the milk = is structurally fine but semantically is not

Question 18

Semantic properties

Answer 18

Features words share
ex: Man = +human -object +animate +male

Question 19

Redundancy rules

Answer 19

problem with features
=animate =redundant; +animate is implied by +human

Question 20

Shortcomings

Answer 20

No definitive set of features proposed
difficult to apply throughout vocabulary
no futher analysis

Question 21

Prototype theory

Answer 21

solution to problematic features
Not based on binary features
consider features typical to the concept.

Question 22

Lexical field

Answer 22

related meaning between a group of word
ex: cup, mug, plastic cup, goblet = vessels from which one drinks

Question 23

Markedness distinction

Answer 23

Less common, less frequently used
ex: blue, red, yellow = less marked
indigo, saffron = marked

Question 24

Thematic roles

Answer 24

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)

Question 25

Pragmatics

Answer 25

interpretation of linguistic meaning in context
situational context

Question 26

Conversational maxims

Answer 26

Cooperative principle

Question 27

3 components of Utterances

Answer 27

1-locutionary act (meaning)
2-illocutionnary act (force)
3-Prelocutionary act (effects)

Question 28

Deixis

Answer 28

words or expressions= space and time
Person-time-place