18 Questions
What is the main focus of semantics within the field of linguistics?
Word and sentence meaning
How does pragmatics differ from semantics?
Pays less attention to word meaning and more attention to context
What is the main goal of lexical semantics?
To build a model for the structure of the lexicon
Give an example of a question that lexical semantics investigates.
What is the difference between always/never and often/seldom?
What does lexical semantics primarily focus on?
Linguistic meaning
Explain the concept of semantic fields.
Groupings of related words based on shared meanings
What is the difference between an ambiguous sentence and a vague sentence?
An ambiguous sentence has multiple possible meanings, while a vague sentence lacks specific details but only has one interpretation.
Explain how linguistic ambiguity can arise in a sentence.
Linguistic ambiguity can arise when a word or phrase can have multiple interpretations or meanings within the context of a sentence.
What does it mean for a sentence to be imprecise?
An imprecise sentence lacks specific details or clarity, leading to uncertainty or vagueness.
How does context help in resolving ambiguity in language?
Context helps in resolving ambiguity by providing additional information that clarifies the intended meaning of a word or phrase.
Provide an example of a sentence that is vague but not ambiguous.
An example of a vague but not ambiguous sentence is 'She ate the pie.'
Explain the importance of distinguishing different interpretations of word meanings in linguistics.
Distinguishing different interpretations of word meanings in linguistics is crucial to accurately represent situations in the world and understand language structures.
What does linguistic meaning encompass?
Linguistic Meaning encompasses both sense and reference.
What is the term frequently used to describe the linguistic meaning of an expression?
Denotation
What type of meaning focuses on the social characteristics of speakers and situations?
Social Meaning
What is affective meaning related to?
Emotional connotation attached to words and utterances.
How is referential meaning defined?
Referential meaning is the real-world object or concept picked out or described by an expression.
Why is referential meaning not sufficient to explain how some expressions mean what they mean?
Not all expressions have referents.
Study Notes
Semantics in Linguistics
- The main focus of semantics is to examine the meaning of words, phrases, and sentences in language.
- Semantics is concerned with the meaning of language at the word, phrase, and sentence levels.
Semantics vs. Pragmatics
- Semantics focuses on the meaning of language in isolation, whereas pragmatics considers the meaning of language in context.
- Pragmatics examines how speakers use language to convey meaning in social situations.
Lexical Semantics
- The main goal of lexical semantics is to investigate the meaning of words and their relationships with other words.
- Example question: What is the meaning of the word "bank" in different contexts?
- Lexical semantics primarily focuses on word meaning, exploring how words contribute to the meaning of sentences.
Semantic Fields
- Semantic fields refer to the organization of words into groups based on their meanings and relationships.
- Semantic fields help to identify the relationships between words and their meanings.
Ambiguity vs. Vagueness
- Ambiguity occurs when a sentence or word has multiple possible meanings.
- Vagueness occurs when a sentence or word has a unclear or imprecise meaning.
- Example: "The bank will issue a new credit card" is ambiguous because "bank" can refer to a financial institution or the side of a river.
- Example: "I'm going to the store" is vague because it doesn't specify which store.
Linguistic Ambiguity
- Ambiguity can arise from words with multiple meanings, homophones, or syntax.
- Context can help resolve ambiguity by providing clues to the intended meaning.
Imprecision and Context
- Imprecision refers to a lack of clarity or specificity in language.
- Context can help resolve imprecision by providing additional information to clarify meaning.
Importance of Distinguishing Interpretations
- Distinguishing between different interpretations of word meanings is crucial in linguistics because it helps to clarify the meaning of language.
- Linguistic meaning encompasses various aspects, including the meaning of words, phrases, and sentences.
Linguistic Meaning
- Linguistic meaning is the term used to describe the meaning of an expression.
- Linguistic meaning can be broken down into various types, including referential, affective, and social meaning.
Types of Meaning
- Referential meaning is concerned with the relationship between words and the objects they represent.
- Affective meaning is related to the emotions and attitudes associated with words and expressions.
- Social meaning focuses on the social characteristics of speakers and situations.
- Referential meaning is not sufficient to explain how some expressions mean what they mean because it doesn't account for the social and cultural context.
Explore the summary of the three types of linguistic meaning: sense, reference, referential meaning, sense meaning, and denotation. Learn about social meaning, connotation, and affective meaning in language. Dive into the traditional domain of semantics and understand the nuances of linguistic, social, and affective meaning.
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