PPT Notes, Test 4 - Semantics

Question 1

define semantics

Answer 1

• the study of meaning in language
• a science dealing with the relation between
  referents (words, symbols)
  and
  referends (objects/concepts)

Question 2

define lexical gap

Answer 2

when we have a concept, but no word for that thing

Question 3

define objectivism

Answer 3

there is a reality out there that we can access, bypassing language, and language describes that world

Question 4

define relativity

Answer 4

differences in language create differences in thought

example: german: key, masculine
spanish: key, feminine

Question 5

define determinism

Answer 5

thought is determined by the categories available in language

Question 6

define euphemism

Answer 6

giving a name to something that makes it better

example: office administrator for secretary, sanitation technician for garbage man

Question 7

define dysphemism

Answer 7

giving a name to something that makes it worse

example: walkers for skin eaters, terrorist for freedom fighter

Question 8

define oxymoron

Answer 8

an expression which contains an inherent contradiction

example: bittersweet, only choice

Question 9

define tautology

Answer 9

an expression that is redundant

example: free gift, frozen ice, 5pm in the afternoon

Question 10

define metaphor

Answer 10

figure of speech in which a word or expression normally used for one kind of object/action is extended to another
example: concept - argument is war
extension - “he ATTACKED every WEAK POINT in my ARGUMENT”

Question 11

define simile

Answer 11

essentially a metaphor that uses LIKE or AS to explicitly make the connection

Question 12

define analogy

Answer 12

process by which a form A is either changed or created in such a way that its relation to another form B is like that of other pairs of forms whose relationship is similar in meaning

Question 13

define hyponyms

Answer 13

subordinate words of a category of hypernym
example: hypernym: dog
hyponyms: mutt, terrier, Dalmation, Labrodor
X is a kind of X

Question 14

define meronyms

Answer 14

parts of a whole
example: dog
meronyms: tail, whiskers, paw, ears, snout
tail is part of a dog

Question 15

define metonymy

Answer 15

a word that literally denotes one thing is used figuratively to refer to something related
examples: the Crown = the British Monarchy
Washington = the US government
plastic = credit card
bottle = alcoholic drink
the press = the news media

Question 16

define synonym

Answer 16

words that mean the same thing BUT words that have the same denotational meaning can differ in connotation
examples: sofa/couch, cease/stop, cup/mug
dawg, dude, companion, associate, friend
“Wassup my associate” NO
regional variation: a user will typically only use one of the words in a group

Question 17

define denotation

Answer 17

literal meaning, referent, the actual thing or concept in the real world
example: music/noise

Question 18

define connotation

Answer 18

subjective meaning, affective, connected to things outside the literal meaning
example: music/noise

Question 19

define homophone

Answer 19

words that SOUND the same, homoPHONE
different meanings
example: flower/flour, two/to/too, knight/night, hear/here

Question 20

define homograph

Answer 20

words that are SPELLED the same, homoGRAPH
different meanings
example: saw (tool) / saw (past tense of see)
bank (where keep money) / bank (beside river)

Question 21

word can be homophone NOT homograph

Answer 21

example: flower/flour, bee/be, sew/so

Question 22

word can be homophone AND homograph

Answer 22

example: bank/bank
sink (a boat) / sink (in the kitchen)
crane (your neck) / crane (on a construction site)

Question 23

define polysemy

Answer 23

a word that has multiple meanings

Question 24

define antonymy

Answer 24

words that the mean opposite of other words
example: wide/narrow
early/late
sane/crazy

Question 25

define gradable antonym

Answer 25

words that represent poles that have degrees between
example: light/dark
slim/chunky
healthy/sick
bad/good

Question 26

define nongradable antonym

Answer 26

words that have exact, polar opposites, they are both absolutes
example: dead/alive
single/married
on/off
bad/good

Question 27

define converseness in antonyms

Answer 27

words that imply a relationship with another word - semantically reciprocal
example: parent/child
wife/husband
teacher/student

BUT NOT male/female because the opposite is not implied in one word - you can have a male without a female, but not a husband without a wife

Question 28

define deixis

rhymes with “likes this”

Answer 28

to make a reference clear with words that have a pointing or specifying function - “has a shifting referent”

Question 29

3 types of deixis

Answer 29

PRONOUNS (I, you, us, our)
SPATIAL (this/that, here/there, coming/going)
TEMPORAL (adverbs of time: today, tomorrrow, now)