Word and its Meaning

SEMANTICS

¨The meaning of words and phrases

¨Study of Linguistic meaning

¨Study of relationship between the sign and the referent

SEMASIOLOGY

Branch of Linguistics – studies Linguistic meaning

Word meaning – a certain reflection in our mind of objects, phenomena or relations that makes part of the linguistic sign.

Synchronically: study of semantic structures typical of the lg. studied, of its general semantic system.

The main object of semaciological study:

Semantic development of words and

Causes of development -diachronical approach;

Classification of semantic development;

Types of lexical meaning;

Polysemy and semantic structure of words;

Semantic grouping and connections in the vocabulary system (synonymy, antonymy, terminological systems) – descriptive or synchronic approach.

F. de Saussure: Meaning is the relation btw. the object or notion named and the name itself.

Lexical meaning is the realization of concept or emotion by means of a definite lg system (concepts are bound by signs).

Descriptive linguistics: meaning is the situation in which the word is uttered.

Diachronically: studies the change in meaning the words undergo.

Synchronically: study of semantic structures typical of the lg. studied, of its general semantic system.

The Semantic Structure of English Word:

The complexity of the word meaning:

Combines lexical and grammatical meanings: mother,n; to live,v;

Combines denotative and connotative meaning: father::daddy;

Denotational meaning consists of semantic components of semes: father’male parent’, ‘an ancestor’, ‘a founder or leader’, ‘a priest’.

The grammatical meaning: an expression in speech of relationships btw. words based on contrastive features of arrangements in which they occur.It is more abstract and more generalized, it unites words into big groups such as parts of speech and lexico-grammatical classes. Ex.: girls, tables, emotions (plurality).

The lexico-grammatical meaning is the common denominator of all the meanings of words belonging to a lexico-grammatical class of words.

Generic terms are words - representatives of lexico-grammatical meaning, substituting any word of the class: matter (material nouns), group (collective nouns), person (personal nouns).

The denotative meaning is a linguistic expression for a concept or a name for an individual object (the conceptual content of a word). The denotative meaning is significative, if the referent is a concept (grief, sorrow, happiness) or demonstrative if it is an individual object (a table, a chair).

The pragmatic component of denotation is connotational meaning based on the complex associations of verbal or situational contexts:

the speaker’s attitude – slay::kill,

approval or disapproval – clique::group,

the speaker’s emotions – mummy::mother,

degree of their intensity – adore::love).

Semantic components (semes) of the denotative meaning:

MAN + HUMAN + ADULT + MALE

WOMAN + HUMAN +ADULT - MALE

BOY +HUMAN – ADULT + MALE

GIRL + HUMAN - ADULT -MALE

POLYCEMY reflects the possibility of using the same name in secondary nomination for objects possessing common features (proximity) which are sometimes only implied in the original meaning (implicational):

The Lexical Meaning versus Notion

Notion (concept) denotes the reflection in the mind of real objects and phenomena in their essential features and relations.

Each notion is characterized by its scope and content. The scope is determined by all the objects it refers to. The content is made up of all the features that distinguish it from other notions.

Functions of the word:

1) The identifying (demonstrative) function of the word: denoting the objects covered by the scope of the notion expressed in the word.

2) The significative function: expressing the content of the respective notion.

3) The expressive function: rendering an emotion or an attitude.

The relations btw. logical notion and lexical meaning varies:

1) The logical notion is the referent of lexical meaning quite often but not always, because there may be other referents such as the real objects. A good laugh is sunshine in the house. Do you remember what the young lady did with the telegram? Proper names possess identifying function but not signifying.

Pronouns possess the demonstrative function and no significative function.

2) Notions are always emotionally neutral as they are a category of thought.

The meaning conveys:

some reflection of objective reality and

the speaker’s state of mind,

his attitude to what he is speaking about. Brat::baby; kid::child.

3) The lexical meaning of many words depends upon the sphere of their usage and the typical contexts whereas a notion belongs to abstract logic and has no ties with any stylistic sphere and does not contain any emotive components. Fancy that! Fancy my making a mistake like that!

4) The complexity of the notion is determined by the relationships of the extra-linguistic reality reflected in human consciousness. The complexity of each word meaning is due to the fact that it combines lexical meaning with lexico-grammatical meaning, and with emotional colouring, stylistic peculiarities and connotations. Bright, clear, good, quick,steady, thin are qualitative adjectives having degrees of comparison.

5) The grouping of meanings is different from a group of notions. Burn vt ‘destroy by fire’, vi ‘be in flames’; polysemantic verbs fire, fly, run, shake, turn, walk,etc;.show n. ‘the act of showing’, ‘an exhibition’(derivational motivation).

6) Notions are mostly international whereas meaning is nationally determined and limited. Boat-судно, шлюпка, пароход; coat- пальто, пиджак, китель; нога-foot, leg; рука- hand, arm, etc.

The lexical meaning of the word is the realization or naming of the notion, emotion or object by means of a definite lg. system subject to the influence of grammar and vocabulary peculiarities of that lg.

The denotative meaning is essentially cognitive: it conceptualizes and classifies our experience and

names some objects spoken about. It fulfills the significative and the communicative functions and is regarded as the central factor in the functioning of the lg.

The connotative meaning is the pragmatic communicative value, the word receives by virtue of where, when, how, by whom, for what purpose and in what contexts it is or may be used. It consists of 4 main types:

stylistic, emotional, evaluative and expressive or intensifying.

Stylistic connotation concerns the situation in which the word is uttered, the social circumstances (formal, familiar,etc.), the social relations btw. the interlocutors (polite, rough), the type and purpose of communication (learned, poetic, official, etc.) Horse::steed::nag::gee-gee.

An emotional or effective connotation corresponds to emotional situations or the association of the referent with emotions: “Tired with all this for restful death I cry”.

Evaluative connotation expresses approval or disapproval: magic (positive):: witchcraft:: sorcery (negative).Bias words involve ideological viewpoints and are characteristic of the newspaper vocabulary: “Black is beautiful”, “Black Power”.

The intensifying (expressive, emphatic) connotation: maginificent, gorgeous, splendid, superb.

Implicational meaning is the implied information associated with the word by virtue of what it refers to and what the speakers know about the referent. It is a potential often realized in the derivatives (wolf-wolfish).

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14