Semantics Ch1 Flashcards
semantic rules
word meaning
syntactic structure
syntactic ambiguity
when the arrangement of words gives rise to two possible reading of a sentence
lexical ambiguity
when there are multiple possible meanings of a words which allows for different readings of a sentence
paraphrases
alternative readings of a phrase
unambiguous paraphrases
alternative readings of a phrase that have one possible meaning only
readings
understandings of the potential meanings of a phrase
constituent
string of words
compositionality
theory: the meaning of a sentence is determined by the words used as well as how they are combined
Quantifier expression
every, all, some etc
order of semantic rules
words + syntax –> semantic rules –> meaning
grammar
semantic combined with syntactic rules
truth conditions
the conditions under which a sentence can be deemed true
truth values
true or false
truth conditions + facts about the world = truth value
extensions
the entities that expressions stand for
eg horse - an entity
above - a relation
Ms Boyle - an individual
entailment
when something is true because it is a more broad version of something else that is true
synonymous
when the truth of one sentence means the other must be true also
set elements
members of a set
list notation
listing all the elements in a set in curly brackets
singleton set
only one element in the set
predicate definition/definition by condition
set notation often used to denote large or infinite sets
uses a letter from the end of the alphabet as a variable and after a colom states the condition on which the membership depends
{x: x lives in Dublin}
iff
if and only if
ordered pair
group of two element which must stay in specific order to be valid
