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ENG 211 > Semantics > Flashcards

Semantics Flashcards

Due: 10/06/2024

1
Q

Semantics

A

The study of meaning in language (confined to aspects which are relatively stable and context-free)

*Study of the meaning of morphemes, words, phrases, and sentences

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2
Q

Pragmatics

A

Concerned with speaker variation, different meanings in different contexts

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3
Q

Hyponomy

A

A semantic relationship between a more general term and a more specific term

Ex) flower = rose

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4
Q

Signifier

A

The word (the name for a meaning)

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5
Q

Signified

A

The concept (the ‘meaning’ of the word)

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6
Q

Meaning

A
  1. the thing to which the speaker of that word should refer to
  2. the thing to which the hearer of that word believes is being referred to

Very abstract and has a few meanings - these make the most sense!

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7
Q

Refer

A

Having something particular in mind when saying a word

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8
Q

‘Sense’ of meaning

A

The definition that lives in the dictionary

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9
Q

Referent

A

The meaning of a word that can differ from occasion to occasion

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10
Q

Speaker-Reference

A

What the speaker is referring to using some linguistic expression

*This is not included in the study of semantics!

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11
Q

Linguistic-Reference

A

The systematic denotation of some linguistic expression as part of a language

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12
Q

Extension

A

The set of all potential referents for a referring expression

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13
Q

Prototype

A

A typical member of the extension of a referring expression

Ex) robin & bluejay = prototypes of a bird

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14
Q

Stereotype

A

A list of characters describing a prototype

Ex) beak, two legs, wings = bird stereotypes

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15
Q

Coreference

A

Two linguistic expressions that refer to the same real-world entity - past, present, and future

These are NOT synonymous words

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16
Q

Anaphora

A

A linguistic expression that refers to another linguistic expression (deals with the relation between two linguistic expressions)

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17
Q

Deixis

A

A deicitic expression has one meaning but can refer to different entities depending on the speaker’s spatial/temporal orientation

Ex) right, left, you, here, here, there

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18
Q

Semantic meaning vs. Speaker meaning

A

Semantic Q: can you get me an apple?
Semantic A: Yes, I am physically capable of doing that.

Speaker Q: Can you get me an apple?
Semantic A: person reaches for an apple and gives to speaker

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19
Q

3 Main Components of Semantic Meaning

A
  1. The context
  2. The meanings
  3. Morphological & syntactic structure
20
Q

Compositional (formal) semantics

A

Study the variety of grammatical patterns which occur in individual languages & across the languages of the world

  • a subfield of semantics
21
Q

Lexical semantics

A

Interested in the meanings of words & the relations among words’ meanings

22
Q

Thematic role

A

verb, noun, adjective etc.

23
Q

Denotative meaning

A

The ‘logical’ meaning, which indicates the essential qualities of a concept which distinguish it from other concepts

AKA the dictionary definition

24
Q

Connotative meaning

A

The additional or associated meaning, which is attached to the denotative, conceptual meaning - metaphors, context, etc.

25
Q

Social meaning

A

It is the meaning that a word possesses by virtue of its uses in particular social situations and circumstances.

26
Q

Thematic meaning

A

It lies in the manner in which a message is organized for emphasis.

27
Q

Agent

A

The entity that performs the action

28
Q

Theme

A

The entity that is involved in or affected by the action

29
Q

Instrument

A

If an agent uses another entity in performing an action, that other entity takes the role of instrument

30
Q

Benefactive

A

The noun or noun phrase that refers to the person or animal who is meant to benefit from the action of the verb.

31
Q

Experiencer

A

A feeling, perception, or state – we see, know, or enjoy something & we don’t perform an action, we are experiencers

32
Q

Gradable

A

One main kind of antonym – they can be used in comparative constructions; the negative of one member does not necessarily imply the other.

EX) NOT old doesn’t necessarily mean young

33
Q

Non-gradable

A

Second main kind of antonym AKA complementary pairs – they are not normally used in comparative constructions & the negative DOES imply the other.

EX) NOT dead = alive

34
Q

Reversives

A

Opposite words that don’t mean the negative of the other

EX) untie-tie, unpack-pack

35
Q

Hyponomy

A

When the meaning of the form is included in the meaning of another.

36
Q

Homophony

A

When two or more differently written forms have the same pronunciation but different meanings.

EX) sea & see

37
Q

Homography

A

When two or more forms are the same when written but pronunciation & meaning differs.

EX) Read (red) & Read (reed)

38
Q

Homonymy

A

When one form, written or spoken, has two more unrelated meanings yet have the same pronunication and spelling.

EX) bank of a river, bank as a finance instituion

39
Q

Polysemy

A

Multiple meanings that are all related by extension

EX) top = top of head, top of company, top the glass etc.

40
Q

Metonymy

A

This relationship is based on a close connection iin everyday experience

Ex) car-wheels, king-crown

41
Q

Collocation

A

Those words which tend to occur with others.

Ex) husband-wife, knife-fork, hammer-nail

42
Q

Analytic Sentences (Linguistic Truths)

A

A sentence that is necessarily true simply by virtue of the words in it - we do not need to check on the outside world to verify the truth

43
Q

Contradictory sentences

A

False by virtue of the language itself (blatant lies) - no need to check the outside world for truth because we know it is false.

44
Q

Synthetic sentences

A

May be true or false depending on how the world is. They can’t be true or false due to the words that comprise but the truth must be verified empirically.

45
Q

Entailment

A

A proposition (expressed in a sentence) that follows necessarily from another sentence.

Must be unidirectional

Ex) Martina aced chemistry entails Martina passed chemistry

46
Q

Paraphrase

A

When entailment works both ways instead of unidirectional (aka synonomous sentences)

47
Q

Presupposition

A

A proposition (expressed in a sentence) that must be assumed to be true in order to judge the truth or falsity of another sentence.

ENG 211 (6 decks)

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