Linguistics: Units of Meaning
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Questions and Answers

What are the three types of semantic relations according to Nick Riemer?

  • Language, the world, the mind (correct)
  • Communication, interpretation, understanding
  • Semantics, lexicography, definition
  • Words, objects, meanings

The meaning of a word is always objective and easily defined.

False (B)

What is the primary task of linguistic semantics?

The primary task of linguistic semantics is to specify the meaning representation of words in the mental lexicon.

Semantics helps lexicographers to identify semantic relationships between words, such as ______ and ______.

<p>antonyms, synonyms</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following terms with their descriptions.

<p>Semantics = The study of language and its meaning Lexicography = The practice of writing and compiling dictionaries Definition = An explicit statement explaining the meaning of a word or concept Mental lexicon = A stock of words and their associated meanings in an individual's mind</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a criterion for identifying a word, according to Bloomfield?

<p>Cohesiveness (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Idioms are considered compositional phrases because their meaning can be derived from the sum of their individual parts.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the apparent association between particular sound frequencies and meaning?

<p>Sound Symbolism</p> Signup and view all the answers

The combination of a verb root and inflectional affix, like "therapeau-oarci" (they are curing), demonstrates the ______ level of a word.

<p>grammatical</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following terms to their respective definitions:

<p>Cohesiveness = The quality of a word being able to be combined with other words in a sentence Non-Compositionality = Meaning is not determined by combining the meanings of individual parts Compositionality = Meaning can be understood by combining the meanings of individual parts Collocation = The words that frequently appear with a particular word</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Morphemes

Smallest units of meaning in a language, including words and affixes.

Phonological Level

Level of language focusing on sound structure, including stress patterns.

Idioms

Phrases whose meanings are not deducible from the individual words.

Compositionality

Hypothesis that the meaning of a phrase can be derived from its parts.

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Sound Symbolism

Association between specific sounds and particular meanings or concepts.

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Meaning

The idea or intention behind a piece of language.

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Semantics

The study of language and its meanings, including word variations and emotions.

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Linguistic Semantics

Mental lexicon: stock of words and their meanings, mapping meaning to words.

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Definition vs. Meaning

Definition: explicit clarity; Meaning: subjective and abstract.

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Lexicography

The practice of dictionary-making, both practical and theoretical aspects.

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Study Notes

Units of Meaning

  • Words
  • Morphemes

Criteria

  • Potential Pause (Bloomfield 1933) - word as a minimum free form.

Two Levels Words

  • 1. Phonological Level

    • One main stress
    • Penultimate syllable – next to the last syllable of a word
    • Stress is a useful indicator of the word.
  • 2. Grammatical Level (Dixon and Aikhenvald 2003)

    • Cohesiveness

    • Fixed order

    • Meaning - word with meaning

    • Affix - the combination of a verb root and inflectional therapy.

    • therapy-peu - o (I am curing)

    • therapy-peu - ete (you are curing)

    • therapy-peu - ouri (they are curing)

Meanings Above the Word Level: Idioms

  • Idioms - non-compositional phrases
    • The overall meaning is not the same as the combined meaning of individual parts.
    • Non-compositional – its meaning is not composed of the meaning of its words.

Contextual Modulation of Meaning

  • Collocation - the words they appear with.

Possibilities

  • First Possibility – Compositionality
    • The general meaning hypothesis
    • The multiple meaning hypothesis
  • Second Possibility – Non-Compositionality
    • Collocation as a whole, not the individual words.

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Description

Explore the intricate concepts of words and morphemes in this quiz. Delve into phonological and grammatical levels, along with idioms and contextual modulation of meaning. Test your understanding of how meaning is constructed beyond individual words.

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