VOCAB and Terminology 10/8

Question 1

Semantics

Answer 1

The study of meaning in language. It can be applied to entire texts or to single words.

Question 2

Syntax

Answer 2

A set of rules that determine the arrangement of words in a sentence. It’s a subset of grammar

Question 3

Deictic Expression

Answer 3

can refer to different entities depending on
the speaker and his or her spatial and temporal orientation.

Question 4

Grammar

Answer 4

Linguistics that studies the rules of a language. It includes the study of: Syntax, Morphology, Phonology, Semantics, Pragmatics.

Question 5

Morphology

Answer 5

The study and description of word formation. It includes inflection, derivation, and compounding.

Question 6

Lexical Semantics

Answer 6

A branch of linguistics that studies the meanings of words.

Question 7

Denotative meaning

Answer 7

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

Question 8

connotative meaning

Answer 8

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 9

Social meaning

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Thematic meaning

Answer 10

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

Question 11

The Conceptual Theory of Meaning:

Answer 11

In the theory of meaning, just explained, words and things are directly related.
But in the conceptual theory of meaning words and things are related through the mediation of concepts of the mind.
Ogden and Richards (1923) saw this relationship as a triangle:

Question 12

The Theory of Naming

Answer 12

This theory, explained in Plato‟s dialogue Cratylus maintains that language is a
communication system which works with two elements; the signifier, and the signified. Plato says that the signifier is a
word in the language and the signified is the object in the world that it „stands for‟ or „refers to‟. Thus, according to this
theory words and things are directly related. Traditional grammar was based on the assumption that the word was the
basic unit of syntax and semantics. The word was a „sign‟ composed of two parts, or components: the form (signifier)
and its meaning (signified).

Question 13

The Behavioristic Theory of Meaning

Answer 13

The term context of situation is used by two scholars, first by an
anthropologist called Malinowski, and later by a British linguist called Firth. Both of these scholars stated meaning in
terms of the context in which language is used. These two maintained that the description of a language is not complete
without some reference to the context of situation in which the language operated. A more extreme view sees the meaning of the linguistic elements AS the situation in which the word is used. Bloomfield, the structuralist, maintained this behavioristic view. He explained his view through his famous account of Jack and Jill. As we know, Bloomfield is a follower of Skinner‟s school of psychology called behaviorism. However, Skinner‟s model has been severely criticized by Chomsky, a proponent of the conceptual theory of meaning

Question 14

Syntactically

Answer 14

A way that relates to the grammatical arrangement of words in a sentence.

Question 15

Polysemy

Answer 15

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 16

Prototype

Answer 16

It explains the meaning of certain words like bird not in terms of component feature (e.g. „has wings‟) but
in terms of resemblance to the clearest examplar; e.g. native speakers of English might wonder if ostrich or penguin
should be hyponyms of bird, but have no trouble deciding about sparrow or pigeon. The last two are prototypes

Question 17

Homophony

Answer 17

When two or more differently written forms have the same pronunciation but different meaning; e.g.
sea-see

Question 18

Homography

Answer 18

When two or more forms are the same only in writing but different in pronunciation and meaning they
are described as homographs such as lead ([lid]) and lead ([led])

Question 19

Polysemy:

Answer 19

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 20

Metonymy:

Answer 20

Metonymy: 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). Sometimes making sense of many expressions depends on context, background knowledge and inference

Question 21

Collocation:

Answer 21

Those words which tend to occur with other words; e.g. hammer collocates with nail; wife with husband
and knife with fork

Question 22

Homonymy

Answer 22

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 23

Synonymy:

Answer 23

Two or more forms with very closely related meanings, which are often, but not always,
intersubstitutable in sentences.

Question 24

entailment

Answer 24

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

Question 25

presupposition

Answer 25

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 26

Analytic Sentence

Answer 26

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

Question 27

Contradictory Sentences

Answer 27

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.

Question 28

Synthetic Sentence

Answer 28

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. F

Question 29

Gradable

Answer 29

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.

Question 30

Non-Gradable (complementary pairs)

Answer 30

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.