Semantics Flashcards
Define lexical semantics
The meanings of words, expressions and their relationship
Define compositional semantics
The meanings of phrases and their composition
Define what makes up word’s meaning
Sense and Reference
Define sense
The mental representation or associations linked to an expression
Example:
The word “cat” has sense such as pointy ears, tail, likes fish, meows, furry, four legs
Define reference
A real-world entity of that meaning
Example:
A real life cat being associated with the word “cat”
What do we store in our mental representations for
each expression?
a) dictionary definitions (using words to describe words)
b) mental image definitions (what you picture)
c) usage-based definitions (the conditions under which it is appropriate to use the word)
Define dictionary definitions
Using words to describe other words
Define mental-image definitions
What you picture when thinking of the word
Define usage-based definitions
The conditions under which it is appropriate to use a certain word
Define hyponymy
a “type-of” semantic relationship between a hyponym (member of a subset) and a hypernym (the supertype). The hyponym set is included within the broader hypernym set
Example:
Mammals include cows, sheep, dogs (there are subsets inside of dogs like lab, poodle, etc) and then those animal subsets niche into specific animals
Define synonymy
Two or more expressions that have the same or nearly the same meaning in some or all senses, and where possible, have the same referent
Example:
happy/joyful
couch/sofa/chesterfield
Define antonymy
The semantic qualities or sense relations that exist between words with opposite meanings
Define the subcategories of antonymy
a) complementary antonyms
b) gradable antonyms
c) reverse antonyms
d) converse antonyms
Define complementary antonyms
Directly contrastive words (words that cannot both be true at the same time)
Example:
a) married/unmarried
b) existent/nonexistent
c) alive/dead
d) win/lose
Define gradable antonyms
Antonyms found on a continuum (words that also cannot both be true at the same time based on time elapsing)
Example:
a) wet/dry
b) easy/hard
c) old/young
d) love/hate
Define reverse antonyms
Involve an “undoing” movement (a movement that would cancel the other out)
Example:
a) put together/take apart
b) expand/contract
c) ascent/descent
Define converse antonyms
Involve two sides or a change in perspective (both actions can be done simultaneously but not by the same individual)
Example:
a) lend/borrow
b) send/recieve
c) employer/employee
d) over/under
Define proposition
A specific claim or assertion regarding the entities found in a sentence
Define truth value
The listener interpreting a proposition to be true or not
Explain the relationship between proposition and truth value
Propositions are claims which the listener must then assess and decide whether the claim is true or not
Example:
P: China is the most populous country in the world
TV: This makes sense based on what I know–True
P: Switzerland is the most populous country in the world
TV: This does not make sense based on what I know–False
Define truth conditions
The truth value depends on the conditions
The truth value does not need to be inherently known
Explain entailment
Entailment is when the truth of one sentence guarentees the truth of the following sentence
Example:
a) All dogs bark
b) Sally’s dog barks
Since a) is true b) must also be true
Define mutual entailment
Mutual entailment is when two propositions entail or make each other true (think of it like synonmous sentences)
Example:
a) Ian has a female sibling
b) Ian has a sister
Define incompatible propositions
Incompatible propositions means that it would be impossible for both propositions to be true based on incompatible truth conditions
Examples:
a) George Washington is dead
b) George Washington is alive
Both a) and b) cannot simultaneously be true
