Semantics: The meanings of language
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Transcript Semantics: The meanings of language
Semantics:
The Analysis of Meaning
Deny A. Kwary
http://www.kwary.net
Airlangga University
Lexical Semantics (cf. p.274)
Semantic properties: The components of
meaning of a word.
Semantic feature: A notational device for
expressing the presence or absence of semantic
properties by pluses and minuses.
Example of componential analysis:
baby is [+ young], [+ human], [– abstract].
Identify the features (1)
1. (a) widow, mother, sister, aunt, maid
(b) widower, father, brother, uncle, valet
The
(a) and (b) words are [+ human]
The (a) words are [+ female]
The (b) words are [+ male]
2. (a) bachelor, paperboy, pope, chief
(b) bull, rooster, drake, ram
(a) and (b) words are [+ male]
The (a) words are [+ human]
The (b) words are [+ animal]
The
Identify the features (2)
3. (a) table, stone, pencil, cup, house, ship
(b) milk, alcohol, rice, soup, mud
(a) words are [+ count]
The (b) words are [- count]
The
4. (a) pine, elm, sycamore
(b) dandelion, aster, daisy
(a) and (b) words are [+ plant]
The (a) words are [+ tree]
The (b) words are [+ flower]
The
Semantic Relations among Words (p. 269)
Synonymy: words that have the same meanings,
e.g. start & begin.
Antonymy: words that are opposites in meanings,
e.g. hot & cold.
Synonymy or Antonymy (p. 307)
a.
Flourish – thrive
b.
Intelligent – stupid
Casual – informal
c.
Flog – whip
d.
Drunk – sober
e.
synonym
antonym
synonym
synonym
antonym
Semantic Relations among Words
(cf. page 270; with critical notes)
Polysemy: A word which has two or more related
meanings, e.g. bright: ‘shining’ ; ‘intelligent’
Homonymy: A word which has two or more entirely
distinct meanings, e.g. club: ‘a social organization’ ;
‘a blunt weapon’.
Homophony: Different words pronounced the same
but spelled differently, e.g. two and too.
Homography: Different words spelled the same but
pronounced differently, e.g. minute and minute.
Identifying homophones
1. [steə]
1. Stair, stare
2. [weist]
2. waste, waist
3. [si:liη]
3. sealing, ceiling
4. [kju:]
4. cue, queue
5. [sent]
5. sent, cent, scent
Identifying homographs
1.Read
2.Wind
3.Live
4.Tear
5.Invalid
6.Bow
7.Dove
Identifying Homonyms in Jokes
1. Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a banana
2. Policeman: Why have you parked your car here?
Motorist: Because the sign says “Fine for Parking”.
3. Customer: Have you got half-inch nails?
Ironmonger: Yes, sir.
Customer: Then could you scratch my back. It’s
very itchy
More semantic relations among words
Hyponymy: Words whose meanings are specific
instances of a more general word, e.g. isosceles and
equilateral are hyponyms of the word triangle.
Metonymy: A word substituted for another word
with which it is closely associated, e.g. diamond for
a baseball field.
Retronymy: An expression that would once have
been redundant, but which societal or
technoligical changes have made nonredundant,
e.g. silent movies movies silent movies
That’s All For Today
See You Next Week
Deny A. Kwary
http://www.kwary.net
Airlangga University