Chapter 9: Semantics Flashcards
semantics
the study of the meaning of words, phrases and sentences
focuses on conventional meaning; linguistic, NOT connotation
referential meaning
basic, essential components of meaning conveyed by literal use of a word
opposite of associative/emotive meaning
needle = thin, sharp, instrument (no inherent connection to pain, illness, drugs, knitting, etc)
in terms of syntactics and semantics, how is the phrase “the hamburger ate the boy”?
syntactially good (NP V NP),
semantically poor
semantic features
way of analyzing the meaning of words
the X ate all the food (n + [animate])
the X is reading the newspaper (n + [human])
componential analysis
the analysis of the meaning of a word or other linguistic unit into discrete semantic components.
[equine]: horse, filly, stallion, mare
when can viewing words as “containers of meaning” be problematic?
if the word is abstract.
semantic/thematic/case roles
agent, theme, action, etc;
roles fulfilled within a sentence
agent
entity that performs the action
theme
entity involved in/affected by the action
instrument
if an agent uses another entity to perform an action, the entity is the instrument (often paired with “with”)
experiencer
entity that has a feeling, perception, or state (feel, know, hear, enjoy)
location
where an entity is
source
where the entity moves from
goal
where the entity moves to
lexical relations
characterizing the meaning of one word in terms of another (conceal == hide, pine -> tree)
synonomy, antonymy, hyponomy
