Semantics: Meaning, Reference, and Sense
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Semantics
Semantics
REFERENCE & SENSE
Meaning
One concern of
One concern of
Semantics
Semantics
is the analysis of meaning
is the analysis of meaning
Meaning: G. Leech
British linguist G. Leech classified meaning into:
CONCEPTUAL
MEANING
ASSOCIATIVE
MEANING.
Meaning: G. Leech
CONCEPTUAL/DENOTATIVE
MEANING refers to
MEANING refers to
literal use of the word results different basic experience
literal use of the word results different basic experience
of the external world
of the external world
Meaning: G. Leech
ASSOCIATIVE MEANING /CONNOTATIVE
MEANING
results different associations with the conceptual
meaning
Reference and Sense
The SENSE of an expression is its indispensable
The SENSE of an expression is its indispensable
hard core of meaning.
hard core of meaning.
SENSE is prototypical
The
SENSE
SENSE
of a is prototypical
The
QUEEN
has fallen off the
TABLE.
Connotation
Sense, reference and denotation are three aspects of what is
commonly conveyed by the loose term ‘meaning’.
Connotation
CONNOTATION
CONNOTATION
names those aspects of meaning which
do not affect a word’s sense, reference or denotation, but
which have to do with secondary factors such as its
emotional force, its level of formality, its character as a
euphemism, etc. ‘Police officer’ and ‘cop’, for example,
have very different connotations, but similar denotations
Connotation
Connotative meaning is the communicative
Connotative meaning is the communicative
value that an expression has by virtue of what
value that an expression has by virtue of what
it refers to, over and above its purely
it refers to, over and above its purely
conceptual content.
conceptual content.
Connotation
Positive and Negative Connotations
Words may have positive or negative
connotations that depend upon the social,
cultural, and personal experiences of
individuals.
Connotation
words
childish
,
childlike
and
youthful
have the
same denotative, but different connotative,
meanings.
childish
childish
and
childlike
have a
negative connotation, as they refer to immature
behavior of a person.
Whereas,
youthful
implies that a person is
lively and energetic.
Connotation
Connotative meaning of an expression can
Connotative meaning of an expression can
vary from age to age, from society to society,
vary from age to age, from society to society,
and from individual to individual.
and from individual to individual.
,
Meaning: G. Leech
Associative meaning into:
Associative meaning into:
,
Meaning: G. Leech
SOCIAL MEANING
SOCIAL MEANING
is the meaning which an
expression conveys about the contexts or social
circumstances of its use.
Meaning: G. Leech
SOCIAL MEANING
SOCIAL MEANING
chiefly includes stylistic
meaning of an utterance. It is the formality of the
expression.
-
mother (formal), mom (colloquial), mama (child’s language)
-dollar (neutral) buck (slang)
Meaning: G. Leech
Affective Meaning:
Affective Meaning:
The level of meaning that
The level of meaning that
conveys the language user’s feelings, including his
conveys the language user’s feelings, including his
attitude or evaluation in shaping his use of
attitude or evaluation in shaping his use of
language is called affective meaning or emotive
language is called affective meaning or emotive
meaning.
meaning.
Ex. Politician---statesman
Ex. Politician---statesman
Meaning: G. Leech
Reflective Meaning:
Reflective Meaning:
is the meaning which arises
is the meaning which arises
in cases of multiple conceptual meanings, when
in cases of multiple conceptual meanings, when
one sense of a word forms part of our response
one sense of a word forms part of our response
to another sense. It is the product of people’s
to another sense. It is the product of people’s
recognition and imagination.
recognition and imagination.
She has a shiner.
She has a shiner.
Meaning: G. Leech
Reflective Meaning:
Reflective Meaning:
is the product of people’s
is the product of people’s
recognition and imagination.
recognition and imagination.
He took the drugs.
He took the drugs.
Enjoy yourself.
Enjoy yourself.
Meaning: G. Leech
Collocative Meaning:
Collocative Meaning:
is the associations a word
is the associations a word
gets because of the meanings of words which
gets because of the meanings of words which
tend to occur in its linguistic context.
tend to occur in its linguistic context.
fast reading/friendship/colour/road/car
fast reading/friendship/colour/road/car
have a fast; a period of fasting
have a fast; a period of fasting
Meaning: G. Leech
Collocative Meaning:
Collocative Meaning:
Fast has such collocative meanings as quick
Fast has such collocative meanings as quick
moving, capable of high speed, firmly fixed, or
moving, capable of high speed, firmly fixed, or
abstaining from food for a time
abstaining from food for a time
Meaning: G. Leech
Thematic Meaning:
Thematic Meaning:
is the meaning arising out
is the meaning arising out
of the way in which the writer or speaker
of the way in which the writer or speaker
organizes his message is called thematic meaning.
organizes his message is called thematic meaning.
Tomorrow I plan to have an outing.
Tomorrow I plan to have an outing.
Reference and Sense
The notions of sense and reference are central
to the study of meaning.
Reference and Sense
The idea of reference is relatively solid and easy
to understand.
Reference and Sense..
The sense of an expression can be thought of as
The sense of an expression can be thought of as
the sum of its sense properties and sense
the sum of its sense properties and sense
relations with other expressions.
relations with other expressions.
Connotation Examples
brat
and
child
toilet
and
rest room
country town
and
regional centre
underprivileged area
and
slum
mutt
and
dog
doctor
and
quack
incident
and
accident
Literal vs Non-literal
All human languages have the property of productivity.
This is simply the fact that the vocabulary of any given
language can be used to construct a theoretically infinite
number of meanings, by varying the ways in which the
words are combined.
Literal vs Non-literal
Examples
The novelist has seen the turkey.
A novelist has eaten the turkey.
A contemporary novelist has seen a turkey.
The novelist has seen a passing turkey.
*A turkey has eaten a passing contemporary novelist
*A turkey has eaten a passing contemporary novelist
.
Literal vs Non-literal
Meanings in those examples are
COMPOSITIONAL
COMPOSITIONAL
. This
is to say that the meanings of sentences are made up, or
composed, of the meanings of their constituent lexemes. We
understand novel sentences because we understand the
meanings of the words out of which they are constructed.
THE MEANING IS LITERAL
THE MEANING IS LITERAL
Literal vs Non-literal
Non-compositional (non-literal) meaning on the other hand does
not emerge from the meaning of the constituent lexemes.
–
Kicked the bucket
–
thrown in the towel
The phrase
Kicked the bucket
Kicked the bucket
, then, is
not
compositional,
since its overall meaning, ‘to die’, does not derive from
the meanings of its lexemes, “
kicked
kicked
” and “
bucket
”
QUESTION In the following sentences, which of the highlighted expressions can be
considered compositional, and which are idioms? Do any belong to some third category?
Stop dragging the chain: we’ll never get there.
Stop dragging the chain: we’ll never get there.
We’ve run out of time, so we’ll have to wrap things up.
We’ve run out of time, so we’ll have to wrap things up.
If you keep on making that noise I’ll go through the roof.
If you keep on making that noise I’ll go through the roof.
After the delay the plane took off as normal.
After the delay the plane took off as normal.
I’ll take twenty per cent off the price.
I’ll take twenty per cent off the price.
This is a nice and hot cup of tea.
This is a nice and hot cup of tea.
My hands are lovely and warm.
My hands are lovely and warm.
Try and get a better deal next time.
Try and get a better deal next time.
Hello down there!
Hello down there!
Collocation
You shall know a word by the company it keeps.
Buxom lass
(attractive woman)
Blond hair
(fair (yellow)hair)
Glooomy weather
(depressing weather)
Fancy dress
(unusual costume)
What do all these phrases have in common? The obvious answer is
that they are used in combination or arrangement pretty frequently.
Explore the intricate world of semantics through an analysis of meaning, reference, denotation, connotation, and the classification of meaning by G. Leech. Delve into the concepts of conceptual and associative meanings, and understand the importance of sense in expressions. Learn how connotations play a significant role in shaping the communicative value of words, with examples of positive and negative connotations.
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Presentation Transcript
Semantics REFERENCE & SENSE
Meaning One concern of Semantics is the analysis of meaning
Meaning: G. Leech British linguist G. Leech classified meaning into: CONCEPTUAL MEANING ASSOCIATIVE MEANING.
Meaning: G. Leech CONCEPTUAL/DENOTATIVE MEANING refers to literal use of the word results different basic experience of the external world
Meaning: G. Leech ASSOCIATIVE MEANING results different associations with the conceptual meaning MEANING /CONNOTATIVE
Reference and Sense The SENSE of an expression is its indispensable hard core of meaning.
SENSE is prototypical The SENSE of a is prototypical The QUEEN has fallen off the TABLE.
Connotation Sense, reference and denotation are three aspects of what is commonly conveyed by the loose term meaning .
Connotation CONNOTATION names those aspects of meaning which do not affect a word s sense, reference or denotation, but which have to do with secondary factors such as its emotional force, its level of formality, its character as a euphemism, etc. Police officer and cop , for example, have very different connotations, but similar denotations
Connotation Connotative meaning is the communicative value that an expression has by virtue of what it refers to, over and above its purely conceptual content.
Connotation Positive and Negative Connotations Words may have positive or negative connotations that depend upon the social, cultural, and personal experiences of individuals.
Connotation words childish, childlike and youthful have the same denotative, but different connotative, meanings. childish and childlike have a negative connotation, as they refer to immature behavior of a person. Whereas, youthful implies that a person is lively and energetic.
Connotation Connotative meaning of an expression can vary from age to age, from society to society, and from individual to individual. ,
Meaning: G. Leech Associative meaning into: CONNOTATIVE SOCIAL THEMATIC REFLECTIVE COLLOCATIVE , AFFECTIVE
Meaning: G. Leech SOCIAL MEANING is the meaning which an expression conveys about the contexts or social circumstances of its use.
Meaning: G. Leech SOCIAL MEANING chiefly includes stylistic meaning of an utterance. It is the formality of the expression. -mother (formal), mom (colloquial), mama (child s language) -dollar (neutral) buck (slang)
Meaning: G. Leech Affective Meaning: The level of meaning that conveys the language user s feelings, including his attitude or evaluation in shaping his use of language is called affective meaning or emotive meaning. Ex. Politician---statesman
Meaning: G. Leech Reflective Meaning: is the meaning which arises in cases of multiple conceptual meanings, when one sense of a word forms part of our response to another sense. It is the product of people s recognition and imagination. She has a shiner.
Meaning: G. Leech Reflective Meaning: is the product of people s recognition and imagination. He took the drugs. Enjoy yourself.
Meaning: G. Leech Collocative Meaning: is the associations a word gets because of the meanings of words which tend to occur in its linguistic context. fast reading/friendship/colour/road/car have a fast; a period of fasting
Meaning: G. Leech Collocative Meaning: Fast has such collocative meanings as quick moving, capable of high speed, firmly fixed, or abstaining from food for a time
Meaning: G. Leech Thematic Meaning: is the meaning arising out of the way in which the writer or speaker organizes his message is called thematic meaning. Tomorrow I plan to have an outing.
Reference and Sense The notions of sense and reference are central to the study of meaning.
Reference and Sense The idea of reference is relatively solid and easy to understand.
Reference and Sense.. The sense of an expression can be thought of as the sum of its sense properties and sense relations with other expressions.
Connotation Examples brat and child toilet and rest room country town and regional centre underprivileged area and slum mutt and dog doctor and quack incident and accident
Literal vs Non-literal All human languages have the property of productivity. This is simply the fact that the vocabulary of any given language can be used to construct a theoretically infinite number of meanings, by varying the ways in which the words are combined.
Literal vs Non-literal Examples The novelist has seen the turkey. A novelist has eaten the turkey. A contemporary novelist has seen a turkey. The novelist has seen a passing turkey. *A turkey has eaten a passing contemporary novelist.
Literal vs Non-literal Meanings in those examples are COMPOSITIONAL. This is to say that the meanings of sentences are made up, or composed, of the meanings of their constituent lexemes. We understand novel sentences because we understand the meanings of the words out of which they are constructed. THE MEANING IS LITERAL
Literal vs Non-literal Non-compositional (non-literal) meaning on the other hand does not emerge from the meaning of the constituent lexemes. Kicked the bucket thrown in the towel The phrase Kicked the bucket, then, is not compositional, since its overall meaning, to die , does not derive from the meanings of its lexemes, kicked and bucket
QUESTION In the following sentences, which of the highlighted expressions can be considered compositional, and which are idioms? Do any belong to some third category? Stop dragging the chain: we ll never get there. We ve run out of time, so we ll have to wrap things up. If you keep on making that noise I ll go through the roof. After the delay the plane took off as normal. I ll take twenty per cent off the price. This is a nice and hot cup of tea. My hands are lovely and warm. Try and get a better deal next time. Hello down there!
Collocation You shall know a word by the company it keeps. Buxom lass Blond hair Glooomy weather Fancy dress What do all these phrases have in common? The obvious answer is that they are used in combination or arrangement pretty frequently. (attractive woman) (fair (yellow)hair) (depressing weather) (unusual costume)
