5 Semantics

Chapter5Semantics1.Whatissemantics?Thestudyofcommunicationthroughlanguage.Philosophy,psychologyandlinguisticsallclaimadeepinterestinsemantics.philosopher:relationshipbetweenlinguisticexpressionsandthephenomenaintherealworld.Psychologist:understandhumanmindthroughlanguage.Linguist:howhumansexpressthemselvesthroughlanguage.e.g.“外面下雨了”今天要早下课。让家长送雨伞来。明天的劳动要取消。我们现在不能下课，要继续上。天气预报不准确。赶紧把凉在外面的衣服收进来。家远的可以回家了。7typesofmeaninggivenbyG.Leech(Semantics,1974)conceptualMeaning:denotative看那草包，做工真细！connotativemeaning:associative他是个草包。collocative:usedtogetherwithothersExamples:motherdenotative:femaleparentconnotative:love,tenderness,careDecemberdenotative:thelastmonthofayearconnotative:winter,snow,Xmas,Newyear,etcraise,liftdenotative:getitupcollocative:raiseaquestionliftabag2.TheoriesofsemanticsNamingtheoryProposedbyPlatoCategorizationisthewayofcognitionWordsarethenamesofthings.OnlyapplicabletoNsCannotnameVs,Adjandabstractthingse.gthink,slowly,joyThereferentialtheoryThemeaningofawordrelatestothethingitreferstoorstandsforintherealword.itcanexplaintherelationshipbetweenthewordandtherealthing.Itcannotexplainsomethingabstractwhichdoesnotexistinthematerialworld.E.gtheconcept:slowly,impulseSemantictriangle(Theconceptualistview)(byOgden&Richards)Concept(mind)word………………thing(language)(world)ContextualismByJ.RFirthThestudyofmeaningshouldbebasedonthecontext.Situationalcontext:time/place/subjectsLinguisticcontext:collocationwithotherwords.e.gIlikethelemon(colororfruit?)Thesealwasnotfound.Thezookeeperbecameworried.Thesealwasnotfound.Thekingwasworried.BehaviorismByBloomfieldMeaningistheresultofresponsetothestimulus.S___r……s_____RS:physicalstimulusr:verbalresponses:verbalstimulusR:non-verbalresponse3.LexicalMeaning3.1SenseandreferenceReference:dealswiththerelationshipbetweenthelinguisticelements,words,sentencesandthenon-linguisticworldofexperience.Sense:relatestothecomplexsystemofrelationshipswithinlinguisticsystems.Twoitemsmayhavethesamereference,butdifferinsense.E.gthemorningstartheeveningstarWordshavenoreference:but,if,etc3.2SenserelationsSynonymy:samenessrelationEnglishisrichinsynonymsbecauseitborrowsalotofvocabularyfromotherlanguages.NativeFrenchLatinfireflameconflagrationaskquestioninterrogateholysacredconsecratedtimeageepochrisemountascendSynonymsarecontext-baseddifferenceindenotation:intherangeandintensityofmeaning.E.g“Ididnotcomprehendhisarguments,althoughIunderstandthelanguage,andallthesentences.”Differenceindegree.E.grichwealthysmalltinyminutemicroscopiclargehugetremendouscolossalangerragefurywrathwantwishdesireDifferenceinstyleWordssharethesamedenotationbutdifferintheirstylisticappropriateness.E.gFormalNeutralrespondanswertempeststormforestwoodmanualhandydomestichomelyDialecticaldifferenceAm.EBri.Efallautumnapartmentflatsubwayundergroundelevatorliftoverpassfly-overDifferenceinapplicationTheyformdifferentcollocationsandfitintodifferentsentencepatterns.E.gallow/letallowsbtodosthletsbdosbmeaning/senseHeisamanofsense.*Heisamanofmeaning.Moreexamples“块”:alumpofsugarachunkofwoodacakeofsoapabarofchocolate“群”:aflockofsheepaherdofelephantashoal(school)offishaswarmofbees.“动物成群，群群不同”Summaryforsynonymy:“Languageislikedress.Wevaryourdresstosuittheoccasion.Wedonotappearatafriend’ssilverweddinganniversaryinagardeningclothesnordowesurfinadinnerjacket.”Antonymy:oppositenessrelationgradableantonyms:pairsthatpermitintermediatemembers.E.grich/poorrich/well-to-do/well-off/moderatelywealthy/comfortablyoff/hardup/poorMoreexamples:old/middle-aged/youngopen/ajar/closehot/warm/cool/coldbeautiful/pretty/good-looking/nice/plain/uglyComplementaryantonymThemembersaremutuallyexclusive.Theinsertionofonemeansthedenialofanother.E.gdead/alivemale/femalepresent/absentsingle/marriedpass/failConverseantonymThepairsindicateaninter-dependenceofmeaningbetweenitems.Onememberofthepairpresupposestheothermember.E.ghusband/wifesell/buygive/takelend/borrowemployer/employeePolysemy:onewordhasseveralmeaningsthroughradiatione.gpipe:14meaningsWater/gas/sewagepipeDoyousmokeapipe?Bag/panpipe:musicalinstrumentsFace:22meaningsThefaceoftheearthhaschanged.ThemountaineersgotothenorthfaceofHimalayas.Sheisratherface-conscious.HehasbecomeafamiliarfaceinWashingtonD.C.Hymonomy(同音同形异义):Worddifferentinmeaningbutidenticalinsoundandspellingorboth.Perfecthomonyms:identicalbothinsoundandspelling,butdifferentinmeaning.e.gbank:riverbank/bankaccountbear:teddybear/cannotbearrace:differentraces/carraceball:ballroomdance/footballpole:Northpole/bamboopoleslie:tellalie/liedownonHomographs(同形异义）：wordsidenticalonlyinspelling,butdifferentinsoundandmeaning.Bow/bau/:HebowedtotheguestBow/beu/:Hewearsabowtie.Lead/li:d/:Heleadsthewholegroup.Lead/led/:themetalHomophones(同音异义）:wordsidenticalonlyinsoundbutdifferentinspellingandmeaning.e.gdear/deerright/rite/writepeace/pieceair/heirno/knowinsure/ensureHyponymy(上下义关系):semanticinclusion.Themeaningofamorespecificwordisincludedinthatofanothermoregeneralword.Thesespecificwordsarehyponymsorsubordinateterms(下义词)andthemoregeneralonesarecalled