Linguistics: Collocation and Pragmatics

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Questions and Answers

What is collocability in regards to words?

The history of a word or where it comes from.

The use of synonyms in language.

The set of restrictions on how a word combines with other words. (correct)

The literal meaning of a phrase.

Which phrase is an example of collocation?

Break a leg

See red

Make noise (correct)

White elephant sale

How can idioms generally be described?

They can be paraphrased easily.

They have a literal meaning.

Their meanings are often illogical. (correct)

They follow regular syntactic transformations.

Which of the following best defines a collocation?

A set phrase that retains literal meaning. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following examples cannot be paraphrased using regular syntactic transformations?

Break a leg Signup and view all the answers

In the context of language, what does meaning encompass?

Real-world concepts and their linguistic expression. Signup and view all the answers

Which option accurately describes a characteristic of idiomatic phrases?

They often defy regular language syntactic rules. Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes collocations from idioms?

Collocations retain literal sense while idioms do not. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of connotative semantics?

Figurative meanings and associations of words Signup and view all the answers

How does pragmatics differ from semantics?

Pragmatics examines the use of language in social contexts Signup and view all the answers

Which branch of linguistics does pragmatics belong to?

Sociolinguistics Signup and view all the answers

What does denotative semantics refer to?

The explicit or literal meanings of words Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'pragmalinguistics' refer to within the study of pragmatics?

The interaction of linguistic forms and meanings in context Signup and view all the answers

What aspect does conversation analysis within pragmatics focus on?

How implied meanings are constructed during conversations Signup and view all the answers

Pragmatics considers which of the following variables when analyzing communication?

The inferred intent of the speaker Signup and view all the answers

What did C.W. Morris contribute to the field of pragmatics?

He coined the term 'pragmatics' Signup and view all the answers

What is componential analysis in the context of semantic structure?

Defining words by their component features Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a hyponym?

Dog and mammal Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes meronym relationships?

It is a whole to part relationship. Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes antonyms from synonyms?

Antonyms are words with opposite meanings. Signup and view all the answers

Which of these pairs illustrates complementary antonyms?

Alive and dead Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of homographs?

They are spelled the same but pronounced differently. Signup and view all the answers

How are gradable pairs different from complementary pairs?

Gradable pairs involve non-exclusive options along a scale. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following examples best represents a synonym?

Violet and purple Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes a performative utterance?

It has a subject that performs an action through the utterance. Signup and view all the answers

What does the hereby test determine about a sentence?

If it is a performative utterance. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following sentences is NOT a performative utterance?

I hereby know that girl. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement is true regarding indirect speech acts?

They disregard the literal interpretation of sentences. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of an indirect way to inquire about information?

I would like to know if you completed your assignment. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the response expected to an indirect inquiry?

An informative reply that addresses the intended meaning. Signup and view all the answers

How do indirect requests typically operate in conversation?

They usually imply a need without using direct language. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary aspect that differentiates a performative utterance from other types of sentences?

It conveys an action performed by the speaker. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of pragmatics in language interactions?

To understand intention and meaning Signup and view all the answers

How does pragmatics contribute to communication between individuals?

By offering insight into emotional undertones Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant challenge in understanding pragmatics across cultures?

Cultural differences in actions and movements Signup and view all the answers

In the example given, what causes the ambiguity in the first speaker's statement?

The structure of the sentence itself Signup and view all the answers

What does semantics primarily focus on in contrast to pragmatics?

Literal meaning of words and sentences Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to be meticulous in observing others while they speak?

To discern deeper meanings and intentions Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect of language does pragmatics most directly enhance?

Understanding of language manipulations Signup and view all the answers

What might happen if there is a lack of pragmatics in communication?

Intentions and meanings may be misunderstood Signup and view all the answers

Why are sentences containing presuppositions not admissible in court?

They imply guilt regardless of the answer. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of deixis?

I am over there. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of studying presuppositions in communication?

To identify hidden biases in statements. Signup and view all the answers

Which expression exemplifies presupposition?

Have you stopped eating sweets? Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a deictic expression?

Everybody Signup and view all the answers

What is one effect of deixis in language?

It can lead to misunderstandings. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of context in deixis?

It clarifies who or what is being referred to. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following sentences contains ambiguity?

I saw the man with the telescope. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Semantics: The Meanings of Words, Phrases, and Sentences

Semantics is the study of the meaning of words and sentences in a language
It considers the literal meanings of words as parts of the language system
It deals with the levels of words, phrases, sentences, or discourse units
The relationship between words and meaning is a core theme
Branches include formal semantics (logical aspects), lexical semantics (word meanings and relations), and conceptual semantics (cognitive structure of meaning)
Semantics is a broad field with various methods to describe semantic knowledge

Two Basic Divisions

Lexical Semantics: Studies word meaning, relationships between words, personal experiences, and how syntax influences word meaning.
Phrasal/Compositional Semantics: Studies how the meaning of phrases and sentences is constructed from individual words

How Meaning Affects Word Associations

Collocability refers to the restrictions on how words combine in phrases
There are different collocations for word pairs: (eg. flock of sheep, school of fish)

Semantic Relationships Between Words

Hyponym: A hierarchical relationship where a general term has specific subordinate terms
Meronym: A hierarchical relationship where a whole has parts
Synonyms: Words with the same meaning (eg. violet - purple)
Antonyms: Words with opposite meanings (eg. comfort-torment)
Complementary Pairs: Mutually exclusive opposites (eg. alive-dead)
Gradable Pairs: Opposites along a spectrum (eg. big-small)
Homonyms: Words with the same spelling/pronunciation but different meanings (eg. four-for)
Heteronyms: Words spelled identically but pronounced differently (eg. dove (bird)-dove (past tense))
Metonymy: A word used in place of another to convey the same meaning
Retronyms: Expressions that are no longer redundant

Semantic Change

Generalization: A word's meaning becomes more general
Specialization: A word's meaning becomes more specific
Metaphorical Extension: A word is used in a new context metaphorically
Euphemism: A milder term substituted for a harsh one
Dysphemism: A stronger term used to make something sound worse
Pejoration: Negative connotation develops over time
Amelioration: Positive connotation develops over time

Compositionality

Sentence meaning is derived from the meaning of its parts
Context plays a crucial role in understanding sentence meaning
Meaning is inferred from idioms, shared cultural experiences or sayings, and original contexts

Sentential Meaning

Sentences are built from the meaning of noun phrases and verbs
They contain truth conditions (if the circumstances described in the sentence are true)
Paraphrases have the same truth conditions but different structures/emphasis

Theories in Linguistic Semantics

Formal Semantics: Focuses on domain-specific mental operations in computing sentence meaning based on syntactic structure
Conceptual Semantics: Explains syntactic properties of phrases in relation to word meanings
Cognitive Semantics: Explains meaning from the perspective of cognitive linguistics, focusing on general human cognitive abilities
Lexical Semantics: Investigates word meaning that is fully reflected by its context and contextual relations. It considers degrees of participation and modes of participation

Semantics in Literature

Semantics plays a role in analyzing how readers comprehend literature
It clarifies the sense of a sentence, considering whether word meanings are literal or figurative.

Types of Semantics

Connotative Semantics: Figurative meaning/associations
Denotative Semantics: Literal meaning

Pragmatics: How Sentences Are Used In Context

Pragmatics studies how language is used in social contexts
It considers speaker's meaning, contextual meaning, and the ways people produce/understand meaning
It looks beyond the literal meaning to consider implied meaning, pre-existing knowledge, and the speaker's intent
Discourse Markers: Words that connect phrases/sentences in conversation
Style of speaking varies across social settings and purposes
Code Switching: Switching between dialects/languages in a conversation or sentence

Speech Acts

Locutionary Acts: Basic, surface meaning of a statement
Illocutionary Acts: Intended underlying meaning/conventional force
Perlocutionary Acts: Effect of the statement on the hearer

Direct Speech Acts

Three main special syntactic types (declarative, interrogative, imperative)

Indirect Speech Acts

An indirect way of communicating a message, often implied in context.

Presuppositions

Assumptions required to make a sentence meaningful
Used in court, and can mean accepting presuppositions as valid before making judgments

Deixis

Reference that is dependent on context (e.g., "here", "now")

Rhetorical Structure

Relationship between phrases/sentences in a discourse
More widely described than syntax but less commonly studied.

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Description

Test your knowledge of key concepts in linguistics, including collocations, idioms, and the distinctions between semantics and pragmatics. This quiz covers definitions, characteristics, and notable contributions in the field. Perfect for students and linguistics enthusiasts looking to deepen their understanding.