Scribd
Upload
125 views39 pages

Unit 1, Basic Ideas in Semantics - Handout PDF

The document discusses key concepts in semantics including: 1. Semantics studies meaning in language including word, expression, and sentence meaning. 2. Meaning can be literal or non-literal depending on linguistic and situational context. 3. A sentence expresses one or more propositions which can be true or false. Related sentences can express the same proposition. 4. The semantic triangle illustrates the relationships between forms (words/expressions), senses (concepts), and referents (things in the world). There are complex relationships between these elements.

Uploaded by

Morsplen Apus
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
125 views39 pages

Unit 1, Basic Ideas in Semantics - Handout PDF

The document discusses key concepts in semantics including: 1. Semantics studies meaning in language including word, expression, and sentence meaning. 2. Meaning can be literal or non-literal depending on linguistic and situational context. 3. A sentence expresses one or more propositions which can be true or false. Related sentences can express the same proposition. 4. The semantic triangle illustrates the relationships between forms (words/expressions), senses (concepts), and referents (things in the world). There are complex relationships between these elements.

Uploaded by

Morsplen Apus
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 39

Unit 1

BASIC IDEAS
IN SEMANTICS
Basic Ideas in Semantics

I. What is semantics?

II. Meaning
III. SENTENCE, UTTERANCE,
PROPOSITION

IV. Semantic triangle

V. Reference and Sense


Semantics = a branch of Linguistics
studying the meanings of words, expressions, or
sentences
dealing with meaning in the language forms
NOTES
(1) Semantics is an attempt to set up a theory of
meaning. (p.8)
(2) Semantic theory deals with semantic facts

e.g. The chicken is ready  to eat 1.


The chicken is ready 1 to eat .
He’s single. / He’s unmarried.
He’s unmarried. / He’s married.
pp.8-9
NOTES
(3) Semantics concentrates on the similarities b/w
languages rather than on the differences. (p.11)
> there are parallels among languages

e.g. as strong as a horse (E) =>


A leopard cannot change its spots. (E) =>
> Purpose: to make general statements about
languages
e.g. Idioms / proverbs in different languages can
convey the same concepts, but
Language

word
sounds structures meanings
formation

Meaning = an aspect / component of language


> Sentence/ Word meaning =

> Speaker meaning > meaning carried by words


affected by a speaker’s will >
E.g.1
Situation A: Where can we find a peacock?
Situation B: (mother to daughter who brought her
boyfriend home)
“Where did you find that peacock?”
Question: In which situation can you find
the speaker meaning?
E.g.2
Situation C:
Ann: Try this cake. Is it delicious?
Tom: Yeah! You’re quite a good cook.

Situation D
Kim (daughter): I’m sorry, dad. The rice’s burnt again.
Jack (father): You’re quite a good cook, dear!
MEANING

Literal Non-literal
▪ Literal meaning → found in dictionaries (e.g.
“peacock 1”)
▪ Non-literal meaning → in actual use, in utterances
(sarcasm, irony, metaphor,… =>

▪ Linguistic context → actual words / sentences that


precede or follow an utterance
- We need to fix a date for the next meeting.
- This date tastes sweet. Can I have another?
▪ Situational context → situation, background
knowledge, physical context (where, when, who,…)
- The Red Khmer is accused of genocide.
p.6
pp. 16-24
III. SENTENCE, UTTERANCE,
PROPOSITION
1.
=> Which has meaning? Which is a sentence?
e.g. She put my books on the counter.
She put my book.
On the counter.

A sentence =>
- a grammatically complete string of words
-
2. An utterance =>
- what is said by any speaker, before and after
another person begins to speak (“_”)
-

=> Identify the utterances:


E.g. Susan: “Nice day today. Going out?”
Peter: “No. I’d rather stay indoors. Coffee?”
Susan: “Yes, no sugar.”
Peter: “I know. You don’t like anything sweet.”
Susan: “No.”
3. => How many basic meanings are there in this
simple sentence?
E.g. Mary’s friend, Carol’s brother, is a married lawyer.
- Mary has a friend.
- Carol has a brother.
- This brother is Mary’s friend.
-
-
=> 5 propositions
A proposition =>
- the basic meaning which a sentence expresses
- part of the meaning of the utterance of a declarative
sentence which describes some state of affairs
NOTES:
1. A proposition (of a declarative sentence) can be TRUE
or FALSE. (p.20)
e.g. I found lots of coconut palms in Ben Tre province.
He found lots of coconut palms in London.
2. The notion of TRUTH decides whether 2 sentences
express the same proposition.
e.g. (a) I found lots of coconut palms in BT province.
(b) Lots of coconut palms are found in BT province.

(c) Mrs Miller was killed.


(d) Mrs Miller is still alive.
p.20
3. Sentences of different languages (p.22)
=> may have the same proposition
e.g. My name is Alice./ Toâi teân Alice./ Je m’appelle
Alice.
4. Different sentences => same proposition (p.20)
e.g. The porters have shut the gates.

5. A question can be uttered with a proposition, but


without a TRUTH VALUE.
e.g. Are you a student?
=>
Core meaning
of a proposition

6. A declarative sentence + its corresponding


interrogative / imperative one => same propositional
content (p.22)
No truth value
e.g. The porters have shut the gates.
Have the porters shut the gates?
Ask the porters to shut the gates!
=> referring to the action of shutting the gate
Exercise: Identify the propositions in these utterances.
1. “Malaria – a dangerous, infectious disease spread by
mosquitoes – is usually found in the tropics.”

2. “An upside down house was designed by its Austrian


owner Fritz Schall who lives in Colombia with his
family.”

3. “The College Board in New York City which creates the


SAT tests said it will no longer provide paper tests for
international students in 2023.”

4. “A team of American doctors from the University of


Alabama said they had successfully transplanted pig
kidneys into a brain-dead human, which took place last
year.”
sense

form referent
sense
Form-sense rel.
=>

form referent

=> no reason for naming a concept,


e.g.
=> agreement
sense
Sense-referent rel.
=>

form referent

=> no simple correlation of one referent


– one sense
e.g. MY CHAIR
Form-referent rel.
=> Indirect
sense

form referent

=> label (form) is given after a concept for a


referent has been framed (i.e. via concept)
e.g. Chim canh cut (penguin), motorbike taxi
A. Relationships b/w Form-Referent (=
reference) (p.27)
B. Relationships b/w Form-Sense (p.29)
C. Relationships b/w Sense-Reference
(p.31)
D. Relationships b/w Reference-
Utterance (p.33)
A. Relationships b/w Form-Referent
(= reference) (p.27)

Examples
1. one expression – Donald Trump
different referents Queen Eli
> variable reference
Vietnam

2. one expression –
Queen Eli II
unique referent The social public of Vietnam
> constant reference
3. different expressions –
same referent The Morning star
The Evening Star
B. Relationships b/w Form-Sense (p.29)

Examples
4. different expressions – Unmarried - Single
kid - child
one sense
> synonymous words
5. one expression –
different senses bright (room) - Bright (smart student)
> polysemous / box (n) - to box (one’s ear)

homonymous words
6. one sentence – Theyre flying planes
(they = planes/pilots)
different senses The chicken is ready to eat
> ambiguous structure (meat - animal)
Examples
7. expressions in different
languages / dialects –
My wife vs ma femme (France)
Monday vs thu 2 (V)
same sense Fall vs Autumn
> same proposition
C. Relationships b/w Sense-Reference (p.31)
=> Every expression in language has sense
BUT not all expressions have REFERENCE
Examples
8. with sense – w/o freedom, peacefulness
reference phoenix, unicorn
> abstract notions The US prime minister
> imagery entities
> non-existent entities
D. Relationships b/w Reference-Utterance
(p.33)

Examples
9. same utterance – Tom “my wife, is from bra”
different reference John “my wife, is from bra”
> variable reference
Practice 1
<A. Relationships b/w Form – Reference> (p.28)

George bush
Bill Clinton

Variable reference

George Bush
Bill Clinton
Practice 2
<B. Relationships b/w Form – Sense> (p.29)
Practice 3
<C. Relationships b/w Sense-Reference> (p.31)
SUMMARY
In everyday conversation, the words meaning, means,
mean, meant, etc. can be used to indicate Reference
or Sense. (p.33)

You might also like