Identity and similarity of sense

Question 1

Truth relations & types of TRs

Answer 1

Truth relations are relations between the propositions of sentences. There are 5 types of TRs:

1. Paraphrase - 2 sentences have the same proposition but it’s realized in different ways
2. Entailment - the truth of the 1st sentence implies the truth of the second sentence
3. Presuppositions - assumptions made by the speaker which are opposed to what he/she has asserted.
4. Contradictions - TRs between two sentences where the truth of the 1st one shows the falsity of the 2nd one
5. Ambiguity - one sentence that has more than 1 interpretation

Question 2

Sources of synonymy

Answer 2

1. Borrowing from different languages (e.g. BELLY - STOMACH - ABDOMEN)
2. Dialects (e.g. FALL - AUTUMN)
3. Formality (e.g. PURCHASE - BUY)
4. Level of technicality (e.g. CARDIOLOGIST - HEART DOCTOR)
5. Phrasal verbs (e.g. ABANDON - GIVE UP)
6. Compounding ( RESISTANCE - FIGHT-BACK)
7. Generic verb + deverbal noun (TO LAUGH - TO GIVE A LAUGH)
8. Clipping (FLU - INFLUENZA)
9. Loss of affixes (WAIT - AWAIT)
10. Euphemism and slang (DIE - PASS AWAY - DROP DEAD)

Question 3

Hyponymy

Answer 3

Sense relation where the sense of one word is encoded in the second one. The superordinate one is called a HYPERNYM and the subordinate element is HYPONYM (e.g. ANIMAL - CAT, DOG, HORSE)

Question 4

Meronymy

Answer 4

Relationship between the part and the whole (e.g. CAR - WHEEL)

Question 5

Synonymy

Answer 5

Synonymy is a sense relation between words with different forms but the same meaning. Synonymy has to be tested by substitutions where one word can substitute the other. Synonymy can be used in the same contexts. There is no ABSOLUTE SYNONYMY, which is due to the language economy.

Question 6

Types of synonymy:

Answer 6

1. Denotational synonymy: when the synonyms refer to different but similar denotation (e.g. SMILE - LAUGH)
2. Distributional synonymy: synonyms that are differently distributed, they express the same kind of relationship between 2 references. (e.g. AMONG - BETWEEN)
3. Partial synonymy: an overlap in meaning but not a complete identity of sense. (e.g. MATURE - RIPE - ADULT)

Question 7

Connotation

Answer 7

The different attitude towards the speech situation and those involved in it is called connotation. (e.g. LOVE - ADORE - adore has a more powerful undertone, while love is less connotatively marked)