Semantics

Question 1

Parameters

Answer 1

1) Heads can be final (Japanese), initial (English), or both (German)
2) Verbs can stay in V (English), move to T (French), or move to C (German)

Question 2

Semantics and Pragmatics

Answer 2

both concerned with linguistics meaning

Question 3

Semantics

Answer 3

Linguistic meaning that is independent of the context in which the sentence is spoken

Question 4

Pragmatics

Answer 4

Linguistic meaning that is dependent on context

Question 5

Truth Conditions

Answer 5

What it would take for the sentence to be true or false, what the world would need to be like in order for the sentence to be true

Question 6

4 types of semantic knowledge

Answer 6

Sentences can:

1) be synonymous
2) contradict each other
3) entail each other
4) imply each other

Question 7

Principle of Compositionality

Answer 7

The meaning of a sentence is determined by the meanings of the words it contains and the way they are syntactically combined.

Question 8

Reference

Answer 8

• You can refer to the same entity using different linguistic expressions
• Usually, you can substitute one expression for the other and the truth conditions of the sentence will stay the same, but not always

Question 9

Extension

Answer 9

The object than an expression actually refers to

Question 10

Intension

Answer 10

The recipe for getting from the expression to its extension

Question 11

T or F: all expressions have extensions

Answer 11

False

Question 12

Binding Theory

Answer 12

3 principles that govern the reference of pronouns and anaphors

Question 13

Pronouns

Answer 13

Elements whose extension can only be determined in relation to some other element called the antecedent

Question 14

Antecedent

Answer 14

The element the pronouns refers back to

Question 15

Pronominals

Answer 15

she, her, he, it, they, we, etc.

Question 16

Reflexive Pronouns (Anaphors)

Answer 16

herself, himself, itself, themselves, etc.

Question 17

Co-reference is indicated with

Answer 17

subscripts

Question 18

C-commands

Answer 18

A NP c-commands its sister and everything it dominates

Question 19

Principle A

Answer 19

A reflexive pronoun must have a c-commanding antecedent in the same minimal TP

Question 20

Principle B

Answer 20

Pronominals must not have a c-commanding antecedent in the same minimal TP

Question 21

Principle C

Answer 21

Referring expressions must be free everywhere

Question 22

Referring expressions

Answer 22

Everything that’s not a pronouns

Question 23

Logical words

Answer 23

Can be given precise definitions

Question 24

Content words

Answer 24

Meanings are more difficult to pin down - we need to distinguish between linguistics knowledge or real-world knowledge

Question 25

Encyclopedic knowledge

Answer 25

Knowledge about facts about the world

Question 26

Linguistic knowledge

Answer 26

Knowledge about semantic relations between content words

Question 27

Entailment

Answer 27

If S1, then automatically S2

Question 28

Hyponymy

Answer 28

Something belongs to a set of something else

Question 29

T or F: Entailment survives negation

Answer 29

false

Question 30

Mutual Entailment

Answer 30

If A is true, B is necessarily true and vice versa. Sentences are synonymous or equivalent

Question 31

Contradiction

Answer 31

If A is true, B is false. If B is false, A is true

Question 32

Presupposition

Answer 32

Background assumptions to be shared between the conversation participants.

Question 33

T or F: Presupposition survives negation

Answer 33

true

Question 34

Truth Value Gap

Answer 34

If the presupposed material is false, then the sentence is neither true nor false

Question 35

Implicature

Answer 35

What the listener can infer based on what the speaker says in a given context

Question 36

T or F: Cancelling an implicature results in a contradiction

Answer 36

False

Question 37

Grice’s 4 maxims

Answer 37

Maxim of Quality, Quantity, Relevance, Manner

Question 38

Maxim of Quality

Answer 38

Try to make your contribution one that is true

Question 39

Maxim of Quantity

Answer 39

Make your contribution as informative as required. Do not make your contribution more information than is required

Question 40

Maxim of Relevance

Answer 40

Make your contribution relevant

Question 41

Maxim of Manner

Answer 41

Be clear and and avoid ambiguity

Question 42

H. Paul Grice

Answer 42

Came up with the theory of implicature. People use language cooperatively according to conversational norms

Question 43

Distinguishing whether B is an entailment, presupposition, or implicature of A

Answer 43

1) Does B have to be true regardless of whether A is true or false
- if so, presupposition
2) Does B have to be true if A is true
- if so, entailment
- if not, implicature