Semantics and Utterances Overview

Podcast Beta

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What term is used to refer to the unique message produced by a speaker in a specific situation?

Meaning

Sentence

Utterance (correct)

Expression

How does the context affect the interpretation of an utterance?

It can change the meaning significantly. (correct)

It only matters for formal language.

It always makes the meaning clearer.

It has no effect.

Which of the following is an example of an utterance?

The weather is nice.

I love reading.

'I agree with you.' (correct)

Love is a strong emotion.

What notation is used for meanings in the provided content?

Single quotes Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes an utterance from a sentence?

Sentences are more abstract than utterances. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes what happens when a speaker repeats the same phrase?

The context may change the meaning of the repeated phrase. Signup and view all the answers

In the example of 'The departments,' what does this utterance require to be understood?

Context is essential for interpreting its meaning. Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by the expression 'scare quotes' as used in the notational guidelines?

Quotes indicating uncertainty about the terminology. Signup and view all the answers

What is indicated by a two-way entailment between sentences?

The sentences are paraphrases. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following sentences exemplifies a contradiction?

She is not cheeky if she is not impudent. Signup and view all the answers

How can we establish that two adjectives are synonyms?

If one entails the other in a sentence. Signup and view all the answers

What is primarily observed to find paraphrases in language?

Entailment patterns. Signup and view all the answers

What does the use of 'so' in sentences like 'You said Andy is cheeky, so that means he is impudent' indicate?

An implication of meaning. Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean if two adjectives are found to be synonymous through entailment?

They can be substituted for each other. Signup and view all the answers

Why might test sentences be invented to establish entailment relationships?

To gauge intuitive understanding. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the terms 'cheeky' and 'impudent' in the context provided?

They are synonyms based on entailment. Signup and view all the answers

What is semantics primarily concerned with?

The meanings of expressions independent of context Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following sets of words illustrates a semantic relationship?

{arrive, be at/in, leave} Signup and view all the answers

In the scenario where a tutor tells a student 'You didn’t fail,' what aspect of language is being illustrated?

Pragmatic inference Signup and view all the answers

What does the jumbled story of the kangaroo illustrate regarding ostension?

The limitations of using gestures for meaning Signup and view all the answers

What could enhance clarity in the sign stating 'Dogs must be carried on this escalator'?

Adding a deictic term such as 'here' Signup and view all the answers

Why could the utterance in Example (1.6a) be problematic in its interpretation?

It suggests that only men are welcome to apply Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes pragmatics?

Meaning derived from context and usage Signup and view all the answers

In examining the sentence 'Pick the right lock', which aspect is likely to cause ambiguity?

The definition of 'right' Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of semantics?

Describing and understanding word and sentence meaning Signup and view all the answers

Which term refers to the complete interpretation of an utterance that takes context into account?

Explicature Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of language does pragmatics primarily deal with?

The context-dependent interpretation of language Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of semantics as described?

It examines word history and evolution Signup and view all the answers

In what way does explicature differ from implicature?

Explicature is context-dependent while implicature is not Signup and view all the answers

How does semantics approach language knowledge?

By describing the knowledge people have of language meaning Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements aligns with the concept of implicature?

It depends on the speaker's commitment in a given context. Signup and view all the answers

What role does context play in understanding deixis?

Context determines the meaning of deictic expressions. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes complementary terms like 'moving' and 'stationary'?

They describe non-overlapping sets of objects. Signup and view all the answers

Which pair of adjectives is considered complementary?

connected and disconnected Signup and view all the answers

In the entailment relationship, if 'Maude’s is the same as yours' is true, what can be said about 'Maude’s is different from yours'?

It must be false. Signup and view all the answers

What is the formal relationship between 'Maude’s is the same as yours' and its negation?

One entails the other. Signup and view all the answers

How can one describe complementarity in relation to synonyms?

They are negative synonyms. Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes the relationship between 'right' and 'wrong'?

Complementary terms Signup and view all the answers

Which statement demonstrates the entailment pattern described for complementary pairs?

All of the above. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following pairs is NOT an example of complementary adjectives?

same and similar Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Sentences and Utterances

Semantics and pragmatics are concepts used to study language.
Sentences and utterances are distinguished in the study of language.
Utterances are the immediate experience of language users.
Utterances are the raw data used for linguistic analysis.
Speakers are the senders of messages in speech or writing.
Utterances are messages, regardless of whether they are spoken aloud.
Every utterance is unique.
Utterances change in context.
Sentences are an abstract linguistic representation of utterances.
Sentences do not rely on context or situational cues.
Utterances can be interpreted based on the context or situation of the utterance.
Implicature is a concept that investigates the way meaning is conveyed through context or implication.
Explicature is an interpretation of an utterance, taking into account context, world knowledge and potentially ambiguous expressions.

Semantics

Semantics is the study of meaning abstracted from context.
Semantics aims to describe the knowledge about meaning that language users have.
Semantics is not about defining what words "ought to mean" but rather describing how they are used.
Semantics is not about etymology, but rather the meaning of words in context.
Semantics focuses on the context-independent knowledge that language users have about the meanings of expressions.
Expressions of language relate to the external world outside of language.

Paraphrases and Contradictions

Paraphrases are sentences that have the same meaning.  
Contradictions are sentences that cannot both be true.  
To analyze the semantic relationship between expressions, compare and contrast the entailments of sentences.
Use language in context to establish sense relations between words.
The relation of paraphrase relies on the concept of entailment.
Entailment is when one sentence implies another.
If a sentence is a paraphrase, and the other sentence is negated, then the two sentences are "negative synonyms."

Complementarity, Antonymy, Converseness and Incompatibility

Complementary terms are words that divide a class of objects into two non-overlapping sets.
Examples of complementary terms are "right" and "wrong," "true" and "false."
Complementary terms are negative synonyms.
Antonymy is a sense relation that is similar to but weaker than complementarity.
Converseness is a sense relation that holds between pairs of words or phrases that express a reciprocal relationship.
Incompatibility is a sense relation that holds between expressions that cannot both be true at the same time.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

Explore the concepts of semantics and pragmatics through sentences and utterances. This quiz highlights their distinctions, the role of context in interpretation, and key terms like implicature and explicature. Test your understanding of these fundamental linguistic ideas.