intro semanticsidragana

5/26/2018 Intro SemanticsIDragana

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doc. dr Dragana Luki

University of Biha


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SEMANTICS: course infoRESOURCES:

1. J. R. Taylor: Linguistic Categorization, Prototypes

in Linguistic Theory, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1989. 2. J. R. Hurford, B. Heasley: Semantics: A

Coursebook, CUP, 1983.

3. R. M. Kempson: Semantic Theory, Cambridge

University PressW. Frawley: Linguistic Semantics, Hillsdale,

Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers, NJ, 1977.

5/11/2014 2


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SEMANTICS: Objectivesto acquire knowledge of basic

concepts in the subject under study;

to explain and illustrate basicconcepts;

to be able to analyse examples(words, phrases, sentences, etc.);


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SEMANTICS: Goalsto enhance students critical reading

and thinking;

to help students develop analytical

skills;


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Course activitiesATTENDANCE:

Obligatory 10 points

active work in classparticipation in class discussions

Homework/test/quizzes


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ASSESSMENT

end of course final test (written) 40points

oral/written assignments - 6 points

Colloquium 22 points max. each

attendance 10 pointsMAXIMUM 100 points


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SEMANTICS

Semiotics

SemiologySemasiology

The study of meaning - especially in words andsentences.

LING 2000 - 2006

NLP

7


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SEMANTICS

Semiotics

the study of signs and symbols

Semasiology

theanalysis of the relation between

form and content, semantic change


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SEMANTICS: the term 1from Greek

semantiks having meaningrelated to sma sign


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SEMANTICS: the term 2Michel Jules Alfred Bral

(1832- 1925)regarded as a founder of modern semantics

the French SMANTIQUE - from Greek

(1893) In 1900 Breal's book SEMANTICS:

Studies in the Science of Meaning


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THE TERM : sum-upthe subject itself discussed in theworks of antique philosophers(Plato and Aristotle)

the term not used till the 20th

century


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HISTORICAL SEMANTICSStudies the changes of meanings of words

through time.

Four processes:Narrowing/specification

Widening/extension

Deterioration of meaning Elevation of meaning


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HISTORICAL SEMANTICS cont.Narrowing/specification

general specific notions

e.g. OE hund hound

(all kinds of dogs) (specific)

OE meat meat(any kind of food) (specific)


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HISTORICAL SEMANTICS cont.Widening/extension

specific general notions

e.g. OE bird bird(general)

= a young small bird


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HISTORICAL SEMANTICS cont.Deterioration of meaning

better worse

e.g. OE knave = a boy/male servant

MdE knave = villain (hulja, nitkov)


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HISTORICAL SEMANTICS cont.Elevation of meaning

worse better

e.g. OE knight = boy, servant

MdE knight = title


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QUESTIONS

?


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SEMANTICS AND OTHER

DISCIPLINESETIMOLOGY studies the origin and development of forms and

meanings of words It comprises the older mean. & newer mean. &

specifies the development of mean. Etimon the oldest found/reconstructed form of

wordFOLK ETYMOLOGY how not enough educatedpeople explain the meaning of words

Cf. buldoder kvarijes infrakt poluklinika


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SEMANTICS AND OTHER

DISCIPLINESONOMASTICS

Studies the development of names:

anthoponyms the development ofpersons names

toponyms - places

ethnonyms - nations


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SEMANTICS AND OTHER

DISCIPLINESLEXICOLOGY

Studies of lexemes

Lexicographyart of dictionary-making

STYLISTICS

Stylistic variations in speech and writing


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SEMANTICS AND OTHER

DISCIPLINES

PRAGMATICS (DISCOURSE ANALYSIS):

the study of meaning, as it depends on context

(speaker, situation)

High-level Linguistics (the good stuff!)


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THE SCOPE OF SEMATICSThe scope of semantics provide the general theory ofmeaning.

Compositionality: Offer a representation for words,phrases, and sentences of a language and explain thenature of the relations between them.

Ambiguities: Offer an analysis for ambiguities at the wordlevel, due to syntactic structure, and other at the sentencelevel.

Sense relations: Entailment, contradiction, hyponymy,synonymy, antinomy; semantic anomalies (e.g. to fallupstairs)

Meaning and Reference: How are words, theirdenotations and the things out there in the world related?


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DIVISION OF SEMANTICS LEXICAL SEMATICS

Deals with the meanings of lexemes(words and phrases)

SENTENCE SEMANTICS

(SENTENTIAL)Discusses the meaning of clauses andsentences


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Complications

Much of what we say is not simply the

assertion of truthful statements about the

world. e.g. You have a lovely dress.Many things we say are ambiguous or have

indirect or multiple meanings.

Ambiguity: I made her duck. How do weknow which meaning is intended? How

many readings do this sentence have?


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AMBIGUITY Find at least 5 meanings of this sentence:

I made her duck

I cooked waterfowl for her benefit (to eat) I cooked waterfowl belonging to her I created the (plaster?) duck she owns I caused her to quickly lower her head or body I waved my magic wand and turned her into

undifferentiated waterfowl At least one other meaning thats inappropriate for gentle

company.


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QUESTIONS????


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HOMEWORKReading and assignment:

J. R. Hurford, B. Heasley: Semantics: A Coursebook, CUP, 1983.Units -1,2,3,7,10,11,12,16

group/individual/pair choose only ONE unit

send the list with the name of students and units toyour teacher by the end of APRIL

do the reading

do all practice

do study guide and exercises on a separate piece ofpaper (type it) and give/email it to your teacher bythe end of MAY

collect 10 points!


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THANK YOU FOR

YOUR ATTENTION


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CONTACT

[email protected]

intro semanticsidragana

Documents

linguistic semantics

historical semantics

breals book semantics

founder of modern semantics

historical semanticsstudies

oe knave

oe knight

aristotlethe term