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Leech

Leech's book on semantics explores the intricacies of meaning in language, focusing on three types of meaning: conceptual, associative, and thematic. He emphasizes the interconnectedness of word and sentence meanings, introduces innovative ideas on language evolution, and compares his theory to others, particularly in terms of deep versus surface meaning. While the book presents some challenges, especially in its technical aspects, it offers valuable insights for those interested in the nuances of language and meaning.

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24 views1 page

Leech

Leech's book on semantics explores the intricacies of meaning in language, focusing on three types of meaning: conceptual, associative, and thematic. He emphasizes the interconnectedness of word and sentence meanings, introduces innovative ideas on language evolution, and compares his theory to others, particularly in terms of deep versus surface meaning. While the book presents some challenges, especially in its technical aspects, it offers valuable insights for those interested in the nuances of language and meaning.

Uploaded by

itharghanim
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Leech’s book on semantics is a bold, detailed exploration of how meaning works in language.

While
covering classic topics, he also introduces his own ideas, aiming to blend word meaning, sentence meaning,
and context (like facts or assumptions) more smoothly than other theories.

Key Ideas:

1. Three Types of Meaning


o Conceptual Meaning: The basic, dictionary-like definition of words (e.g., “dog” = a four-
legged animal).
o Associative Meaning: Extra vibes or ideas tied to words, like emotions (connotation),
formality (style), or common word pairings (collocation). For example, “home” might feel
cozy, while “residence” sounds formal.
o Thematic Meaning: How sentence structure (like word order) shapes emphasis. Saying
“Brutus killed Caesar” vs. “Caesar was killed by Brutus” shifts focus.
Leech focuses mostly on conceptual meaning but admits that words like “good” or “bad” mix
attitude into their core definitions.
2. Breaking Down Words & Sentences
o Componential Analysis: Words are split into smaller meaning parts (e.g., “man” = +human,
+male, +adult).
o Predication Analysis: Sentences are built from “arguments” (nouns) and “predicates”
(actions/descriptions). For example, “Brutus killed Caesar” has “Brutus” and “Caesar” as
arguments and “killed” as the predicate.
Leech argues word meaning and sentence meaning aren’t totally separate. Even single words (like
“pour”) can act like mini-sentences (someone pours something somewhere). His diagrams use
arrows and symbols, which take time to learn but are key for understanding his theory.
3. Creative Language
Leech loves how language evolves. He talks about:
o Neologisms: Brand-new words (e.g., “rockshreader”).
o Meaning Transfers: Words taking on new meanings. For example, “I enjoy Shakespeare”
means “I enjoy his works.”
o Semantic-Field Transfer: Words borrowing meanings from related terms. If “hot” means
“stolen” (like “hot goods”), its antonym “cold” could jokingly mean “not stolen” in context,
even though it doesn’t normally.
4. Deep vs. Surface Meaning
Leech compares his theory to others, siding with “interpretive semantics” (where syntax and
meaning are separate). He uses a “deep structure” to show how sentences like “Brutus killed Caesar
because he loved Rome” and “Brutus’ love of Rome caused Caesar’s death” share the same core
meaning but differ in wording. Rules transform this deep structure into actual sentences by choosing
word order, pronouns, or passive voice.

Critiques & Strengths:

 Some parts feel fuzzy, like how “associative meaning” fits into his model.
 His notation (arrows, symbols) is quirky and takes effort to learn.
 The line between “expression rules” (building sentences) and “transformations” (rearranging them)
isn’t totally clear.

But the book shines when discussing creativity in language (like new words or playful meanings) and how
sentences subtly shift focus. While the later chapters get technical (fair warning for beginners!), Leech’s
ideas are fresh and thought-provoking.

Final Take: This book is great for anyone curious about how meaning works—especially style, wordplay,
or sentence structure. It’s challenging but rewarding if you stick with it. Just be ready to tackle some
diagrams and dense sections!

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