Semantics Flashcards
semantics
the study of the meaning of morphemes, words, phrases and sentences
pragmatics
the study of “speaker meaning” – the meaning of language in its context of use
metonymy
a figure of speech in which an attribute or commonly associated feature is used to name or designate something
synecdoche
a figure of speech by which a more inclusive term is used for a less inclusive one, or vice versa
syntagmatic
the way lexemes are related in sentences
paradigmatic
the way words can substitute for each other in the same sentence context
synonymy
sameness of meaning
hyponymy
inclusion of meaning
antonymy
oppositeness of meaning
incompatibility
mutual exclusiveness within the same superordinate category
metaphor
a figure of speech in which a term is transferred from the object it ordinarily designates to an object it may designate only by implicit comparison or analogy
reference/extension
what it corresponds to in the world
sense/intension
what we know about its meaning, whether or not we know anything about its extension, and indeed whether or not it has an extension
possible worlds semantics
generalize “extensional” accounts of meaning
prototype
a typical member of the extension of a referring expression is a prototype of that expression.
stereotype
a list of characteristics describing a prototype
conference
two linguistic expressions that refer to the same real-world entity
anaphora
a linguistic expression that refers to another linguistic expression
deixis
as one meaning but can refer to different entities depending on
the speaker and his or her spatial and temporal orientation
homophony
when two or more differently written forms have the same pronunciation but different meaning
homography
when two or more forms are the same only in writing but different in pronunciation and meaning
homonymy
when one form (written or spoken) has two or more unrelated meanings, but have the same
pronunciation and spelling
polysemy
one form (written or spoken) having multiple meanings which are all related by
extension
metonymy
based on a close connection in everyday experience
collocation
words which tend to occur with other words
analytic sentences
one that is necessarily true simply by virtue of the words in it
contradictory sentences
while analytic
sentences are necessarily true as a result of the words in them, contradictory sentences are necessarily false for the same
reason
synthetic sentences
not true or false because of the words that comprise them,
but rather because they do or do not accurately describe some state of affairs in the world
entailment
a proposition (expressed in a sentence) that follows necessarily from another sentence
presupposition
a proposition (expressed in a sentence) that must be assumed to be true in order to judge the truth
or falsity of another sentence
