Semantics

Question 1

Semantics

Answer 1

Semantics is the study of meaning

Question 2

Anaphora

Answer 2

Anaphora is coreference of one expression with its antecedent. The antecedent provides the information necessary for the expression’s interpretation.

This is often understood as an expression “referring” back to the antecedent.

Question 3

Deixis

Answer 3

Deixis is reference by means of an expression whose interpretation is relative to the (usually) extralinguistic context of the utterance, such as:

who is speaking
the time or place of speaking
the gestures of the speaker
the current location in the discourse

Question 4

Referent

Answer 4

The entity identified by the use of a referring expression such as a noun or noun phrase is the referent of
that expression.

If, for example, you point to a particular robin and say That bird looks sick, then the referent for the referring expression That bird is the particular robin you are pointing at.

Question 5

Extension

Answer 5

Extension refers to the set of all potential referents for a referring expression. For example, the extension
of bird is the set of all entities (past, present, and future) that could systematically be referred to by the expression bird.

In other words, the extension of bird is the set of all birds.

Question 6

Prototype

Answer 6

A typical member of the extension of a referring expression is a prototype of that expression. For example, a robin or a bluebird might be a prototype of bird; a pelican or an ostrich, since each is somewhat atypical, would not
be.

Question 7

Stereotype

Answer 7

A list of characteristics describing a prototype is said to be a stereotype.

For example, the stereotype of
bird might be something like the following: has two legs and two wings, has feathers, is about six to eight inches from head to tail, makes a chirping noise, lays eggs, builds nests, and so on.

Question 8

Coreference

Answer 8

Two linguistic expressions that refer to the same real-world entity are said to be coreferential.

Question 9

Denotative meaning

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Connotative meaning

Answer 10

The additional or associated meaning, which is attached to the denotative, conceptual meaning. It consists of associations made with a concept whenever that concept is referred to

Question 11

Social meaning

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Thematic meaning

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Benefactive

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Agent

Answer 14

The entity that performs the action.

Question 15

Theme

Answer 15

The entity that is involved in or affected by the action.

Question 16

Instrument

Answer 16

if an agent uses another entity in performing an action, that other entity takes the role of instrument. For
example, consider the following

Question 17

Location

Answer 17

It explains where an entity is

Question 18

Source

Answer 18

From where an entity moves

Question 19

Goal

Answer 19

Where an entity moves to

Question 20

Synonymy

Answer 20

Two or more forms with very closely related meanings, which are often, but not always,
intersubstitutable in sentences. For example, Broad = Wide. It should be noted that the idea of „sameness of meaning‟ in synonymy is not necessarily „total sameness‟.

Question 21

Antonymy

Answer 21

Two forms with opposite meanings are called antonyms. Antonyms are usually of two main kinds:

1) Gradable: They can be used in comparative constructions. The negative of one member does not necessarily imply the other; e.g. not old doesn‟t mean young.
2) Non-Gradable (complementary pairs): They are not normally used in comparative constructions and the negative of one member does imply the other; e.g. not dead means alive. But it is important to avoid describing most antonym pairs as one word meaning the negative of another.

Question 22

Hyponymy

Answer 22

When the meaning of one form is included in the meaning of another, the relationship is called
hyponymy. In this category, we are looking at the meaning of words in some type of hierarchical relationship e.g. animal-horse, animal-dog

Question 23

Homonymy

Answer 23

It is when one form (written or spoken) has two or more unrelated meanings, but have the same
pronunciation and spelling; e.g. bank (of a river) and bank (financial institution). They have quite different meanings
but accidently have the same form.

Question 24

Polysemy

Answer 24

It can be defined as one form (written or spoken) having multiple meanings which are all related by
extension. e.g. head refers to top of your body, top of a glass of beer, top of a company. If two words are treated as homonyms, they will typically have two separate entities.

Question 25

Metonymy

Answer 25

This relationship is essentially based on a close connection in everyday experience. It may be
container-content relation (can-juice); a whole-part relation (car-wheels); or a representative-symbol relation
(king-crown).

Question 26

Contradictory Sentences

Answer 26

Contradictory sentences are just the opposite of analytic sentences. While analytic sentences are necessarily true as a result of the words in them, contradictory sentences are necessarily false for the same reason. The following sentences are all contradictory

Question 27

Synthetic Sentences

Answer 27

Synthetic sentences may be true or false depending upon how the world is. In contrast to analytic and contradictory sentences, synthetic sentences are 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

Question 28

entailment

Answer 28

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

Question 29

presupposition

Answer 29

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

Question 30

Analytic Sentences

Answer 30

An analytic sentence is one that is necessarily true simply by virtue of the words in it