Semantics Workshop (Ling 100 TFB)

8/3/2019 Semantics Workshop (Ling 100 TFB)

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Semantics Workshop

Benito, Joberson

Geronimo, Carolyn

Herrera, Rachelle

Mallari, Benjamin


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To mean or not to mean, That is

the question.


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Workshop flow

Lecture 40 minutes

Activities

Semantic Mapping 10 minutesWhat do you mean? 35 minutes

Synthesis


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Lecture Outline

I. Meaning

A. Reference & Sense Mr. BenitoB. Sense & Connotations Ms. GeronimoC. Literal & Figurative meaning Ms. HerreraD. Sentence and utterance meaning Mr. Mallari

II. Semantics

A. Issues Mr. BenitoB. Semantics vs. Pragmatics Ms. Geronimo

C. Semantic roles & features Ms. HerreraIII. Homophony, Polysemy and vagueness Mr. Mallari

Back to workshop flow


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Workshop flow

Lecture 40 minutes

Activities

Semantic Mapping 10 minutesWhat do you mean? 35 minutes

Synthesis


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Now, Lets get started!


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Lectur

epar

ts for Workshop


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Part One:

Meaning


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The Notion ofMeaning

MEANING

encodedby words

andsentences

that speakers

intend to their

utterancesin a particular

instances of

speech


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Re

fe

re

nce

and Se

nse

Reference- the actual objectthatthe sign

represents


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dog


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Sense contextual meaning of a word or

sentence

Morning Star

Evening Star

VENUS


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Signs always have sense

but not all signs have reference

at, to, and, the

Value-

aspect

of se

nse

de

rive

d fromth

econ

tras

tswith other members ofthe language system


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Intension- defining properties that must be

satisfied in any application of a linguistic item

dog

Animal

Fluffyears

Barks

BitesHairy


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Sense and Connotation

Connotation - an idea that is implied or

su

gge

ste

d in orde

rto d

etermin

eth

ereference of an expression.

Unlikethe sense of word, connotations are not

always present.


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Connotations can differ according to a

persons attitude.


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Connotations also differ according to

the linguistic or speech context.


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Literal and FigurativeMeaning

Literal Meaning

Also known as Denotative

meaning

The sense actually encodedby its component lexical and

grammatical signs.

.

Figurative Meaning

Also known as Connotative

meaning.

Considered to be anextension ofthe literal

meaning.


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Hetied the knot last November.


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Another Example


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He kicked the bucket.

Literal Meaning Figurative meaning


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Processes ofMeaning extension

Metaphor- the sense of an expression is

extended to another concept on the basis of

resemblance.

Metonymy- the sense is extended to another

conceptvia a typical or habitual association.

Synedoche- the sense is extended via part-

whole relation.


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We know that life isnt really a roller coaster. It is

just compared to a roller coaster because of its

twists and turns.


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Sentence and UtteranceMeaning


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Semantics vs. Pragmatics

Semantics s

tudy of s

en

ten

cem

eaning.

- deals with themeaning of expressionstaken in isolation, with the meaning theyhave within the system of language.

Pragmatics study of sentenceutterancemeaning.

- deals with the specific meaning ofactual

instances of language usecon

vey

ed by alinguisticexpression in a particular context

of speech.


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Sentence vs. Utterance meaning

Sentence meaning is directly connected togrammar.

Utterance meaning is related to both

grammar andcon

text.

Ex.

The car broke down yesterday

- describes a situation, the failure of a car.


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1) Carol: Whats been happening while Ive beenaway?

Paolo:The car broke down yesterday.

- Plain statement of fact, and giving a directquestion to the answer.

2) Carol: Do you feel like going outtonight?

Paolo:The car broke down yesterday.

- refusal, or request

The meaning ofthe sentence still remains

constant but

de

pe

nding oncon

text, diff

er

en

tmeanings areconveyed by uttering the

sentence.


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PartTwo:

Semantics


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Three Issues in Semantics

1. Homophony, Polysemy and Vagueness

Homophony- two different words that share the

same phonological form

e.g.

meat and meet


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Polysemy- one form having multiple meanings

which are all related by extension

e.g.1. head as the object on top of your body

2. top of a company

3. on top of a glass of beer


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Homophony Vs. Polysemy

Bank Voice

1. Separateentries in the dictionary2. vagueness or the lack of specificity of

meaning

Wrong Good


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Lexical Relations

Synonymy- relation of sameness or closesimilarity of meaning

e.g.

mad, crazy small, tiny

Antonymy- relation ofthe opposite in meaning

e.g.

absent, present high, low


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Hyponymy- meaning of one word includes themeaning ofthe other

Specific included in a general meaning

tools- hammer, saw, screwdriver

animal- dog, cat, bat

Meronymy- the part-whole relation

Car- windshield, wheel, sidemirror

Room- window, door, ceiling


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Transitivity- distinction between hyponymy and

meronymy


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Semantics VS Pragmatics

Semantics

Semantics invites a focus on meaning and truthconditions without regard to communication and

context.

Semantics is compositional:The meaning of a

complexexpression relates in a predictable wayto the meanings ofthe parts from which it isconstructed. The meaning ofthe whole is afunction ofthe meaning ofthe parts.


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Semantics VS Pragmatics

Pragmatics involves how speakers use language incontextualized social interactions -- how they dothings with words.

Aspects ofthe interpretation ofutterances thatdo not involvetruth conditions arecommonlyconsidered outsidethe domain of semantics.Whether an utterance is a promise, a prediction,

or a question and how metaphorical expressionsareunderstood are matters of pragmatics, notsemantics.

Pragmatics


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SemanticRoles

Agent- entity that performs the action.

Experiencer- entity as the person who has a

fee

ling, pe

rce

pt

ion or a st

ate

. Theme- entity that is involved in or affected

by the actions or justtheentity being

described.

Instrument- another entity the agentuses in

performing an action.


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Location- entity is in the description of an

event.

S

ource- whe

re

ane

nt

it

y move

s from. Goal- where an entity is heading to/ moves to.


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CONSIDERTHEFOLLOWING

SENTENCES:

The Hamburger atethe mango.

My cat studied linguistics.

The green idea slept in my pocket.


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THEYARESYNTACTICALLYGOOD BUT

SEMANTICALLYODD.

The

prev

iou

s se

nte

nce

s are

odd, are

nt t

he

y?What do you think makes them odd?


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My cat studied linguistics.NP V NP

The cat is an animal who is not

capable of studying thats why it is oddto say thatthecat studies linguistics.

Theverb studied requires

a subject who is capable of

doing the action-studying.


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What arethe possible noun phrases thatcould

substitute cat in the sentence?

My_________ studied linguistics.

This approach then gives us the ability to predict

what nouns would make the above sentence

semantically correct.


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The boy kicked the ball.

Agent


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How about

Whatcomponents or features would youuseto

distinguish them?


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The boy kicked the ball.Instead ofthinking the words as containers of

meaning, wecan look atthem atthe roles they

fulfill within the situation described by the

sentence.


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Homophony, Polysemy and

Vagueness


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Homophony when two different lexemesaccidentally sharethe same phonological formbut havedifferent meanings.

Homophones different form but samepronunciation

Ex.

1) Therain poured heavily from the sky.rain /ren/- a heavy or continuous descentor inflicting of anything.

2) His reign ofterror has finally cometo an

end.reign /ren/ - the period during which asovereign occupies thethrone.


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Homonyms one form has two or more

unrelated meanings

Ex.

1) Thebear hibernates during winter

season.

Bear/br/ - a forest animal

2) Shecould notbear to watch the horrible

scene.

Bear/br/- to hold up under; be

capable of


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Homophony is sometimes exploited for

humorous effect.


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Polysemy when identical forms haverelated

meanings.

- close relationships between meanings

Ex.

1) The sun glared down from the hot desert sky.

- to shine with o r reflect a very harsh,

bright, dazzling light.

2) The policeman glared atthetroublesome man.

- to stare with a f iercely or angrily piercing look.


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Ex.

1) I put

co

ttonwool in my ear.

- the organ of hearing and equilibrium

2) Classical music is pleasing to theear.

- sense of hearing

3) I tried to get her ear.

- attention; heed

Ear organ hearing attention


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Vagueness and generality lack of specificity ofmeaning.

- Meanings are so closely related thatthey fall undera single general specification. (generality)

Ex.

1) It is wrong to speak with your mouth full.

- improper

2) It was wrong to take additional taxes from thepoor.

-immoral

3) It is wrong to dribblethe ball with your palm.

- incorrect


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The meanings of a word acquired from its

c

ontext

s ofu

se

are

c

alle

d contextualmeanings.

It was wrong to take additional taxes from the

poor.

- immoral

- mistaken

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Semantics Workshop (Ling 100 TFB)