Chapter 9 Flashcards
What is the main focus of semantic analysis in linguistics?
the study of the meaning of words, phrases, and sentences and what the words conventionally mean,
rather than on what an individual speaker might want them to mean
How does semantics differ from considering individual speakers’ interpretations of words?
“Semantics focuses on conventional meanings, while individual interpretations vary. It deals with objective or general meaning rather than subjective or local meaning.”
Define conceptual meaning and associative meaning. Provide examples.
=> Conceptual meaning: refers to the basic, essential components of meaning conveyed by the literal use of a word.
For example, the conceptual meaning of ‘needle’ in English includes ‘thin, sharp, steel instrument.’
=> Associative meanings: are personal or cultural associations not part of the word’s basic meaning. For ‘needle,’ associations like ‘pain’ or ‘thread’ are examples.”
What is the role of dictionaries in describing meaning?
“Dictionaries are designed to describe the conceptual meaning of words by listing their basic components, helping establish conventional meanings.”
Why might poets, songwriters, and advertisers be interested in associative meaning?
“These groups may use associative meanings of words to evoke emotions or connections beyond their basic meanings for creative or persuasive purposes.”
Explain the concept of semantic features and provide an example.
“Semantic features involve characteristics that differentiate the meaning of words. For example, ‘boy’ could have the feature ‘+animate’ (denotes an animate being), while ‘hamburger’ might have the feature ‘-animate’ (does not denote an animate being).”
How can semantic features help explain the oddness of certain sentences?
“Semantic features can identify the crucial elements needed for a noun to be used as the subject of a specific verb. If a noun lacks the necessary feature, the sentence may sound semantically odd.”
Give an example of a sentence that is syntactically correct but semantically odd.
“‘The hamburger ate the boy’ is syntactically correct but semantically odd because ‘hamburger’ lacks the necessary feature to be the subject of ‘ate.’”
What feature distinguishes the noun “boy” from the noun “hamburger” in the sentence “The hamburger ate the boy”?
“The feature distinguishing them is ‘animate.’ ‘Boy’ is ‘+animate,’ while ‘hamburger’ is ‘-animate.’”
How can you use semantic features to predict which nouns make a sentence semantically odd?
“You can predict oddness by identifying the feature(s) that a noun must have to be the subject of a specific verb. If a noun lacks that feature, it will make the sentence semantically odd.”
What are some limitations associated with the analysis of word meaning through semantic features?
Some challenges arise when trying to find neat components of meaning for many words in a language, especially for words like “advice,” “threat,” and “warning,” where it may not be easy to identify distinct features.
What alternative approach to understanding word meaning is suggested in the text?
The text suggests an alternative approach where words are not viewed as “containers” of meaning with basic features but are examined in terms of the roles they play within the descriptions of events or situations in sentences.
Define semantic roles as outlined in the text and explain their relevance to words in sentences.
Semantic roles are the roles words play within the descriptions of events or situations in sentences. They are crucial because they help identify the entities involved and their functions within the described action or state.
What does the text mention about the role of an “instrument” in semantic roles? Provide an example as presented in the text.
In the text, it is explained that an “instrument” is an entity used by an agent to perform an action. For instance, the text provides the example of “She handed the magazine back to George,” where “the magazine” serves as the instrument.
Describe the “experiencer” semantic role as outlined in the text and offer an example from the text.
The text defines the “experiencer” as the entity that has a feeling, perception, or state. It provides the example, “The boy feels sad.”
