80 Questions
What are the three types of signs in language according to the text?
Iconic, indexical, and symbolic.
What are some examples of iconic signs in language?
Onomatopoeic words, photographs, diagrams, charts, or chemical models.
What are some examples of indexical signs in language?
Demonstrative pronouns like this or that, adverbs like now and then.
What did Ferdinand de Saussure say about the relation between signifiers and signifieds?
It is arbitrary or conventional.
What did Saussure mean by 'arbitrary connection'?
He meant that there is no natural, necessary, logical, or inevitable connection between the sequence of sounds constituting a word and the thing in the real world which it names.
What must speakers do to connect a word with a particular thing in the world?
They must agree that it names that thing.
What is an example of a social agreement in language?
The fact that the word 'apple' stands for a particular fruit in English.
Can linguistic agreements change?
Yes.
What is an example of a linguistic agreement that has changed?
The reference to cell phones being shortened to cell or mobile phones, and later to smartphones.
What is the main type of sign in language?
Symbolic.
What is semantics?
Semantics is the study of how meaning is conveyed in words, phrases, or clauses.
What are the three areas of focus in semantics?
The study of semantics focuses on lexical semantics, grammatical semantics, and logical semantics.
What does lexical semantics study?
Lexical semantics studies the meanings of individual words.
What does grammatical semantics study?
Grammatical semantics studies aspects of meaning which result from the interaction of elements in a sentence.
What does logical semantics (formal semantics) study?
Logical semantics (formal semantics) studies the relations between natural language and formal logical systems.
What are some examples of lexical relations that are examined in the following essay?
Examples of lexical relations that will be examined in the following essay include homonymy, polysemy, synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy, and meronymy.
According to linguists, what are human languages made up of?
According to linguists, human languages consist of signs.
What are linguistic signs?
Linguistic signs are things that stand for or represent something else.
What are the three types of signs recognised by philosopher C. S. Peirce?
The three types of signs recognised by philosopher C. S. Peirce are iconic signs, indexical signs, and symbolic signs.
What do linguistic signs involve?
Linguistic signs involve sequences of sounds which represent concrete objects and events as well as abstractions.
Linguistics is the study of how ______ is conveyed in words, phrases, or clauses.
meaning
______ semantics studies the relations between natural language and formal logical systems.
Logical
Lexical relations are often identified to clarify the links between particular words, including homonymy, polysemy, synonymy, antonymy, ______, and meronymy.
hyponymy
In the view of linguists, human language consists of ______, which are defined as things that stand for or represent something else.
signs
______ semantics studies aspects of meaning which results from the interaction of elements in a sentence.
Grammatical
Signs may be related to the things they represent in a number of ways. The philosopher C. S. Peirce recognised ______ types of signs.
three
______ involve sequences of sounds which represent concrete objects and events as well as abstractions.
Linguistic signs
The study of semantics focuses either on meanings of individual words (“lexical semantics”) or ______ semantics.
grammatical
Lexical semantics focuses on meanings of ______.
individual words
The philosopher C. S. Peirce recognised three types of signs: icons, indexes, and ______.
symbols
According to Ferdinand de Saussure, the relation between the linguistic sign (signifier) and what it signifies (signified) is ______.
conventional or arbitrary
Onomatopoeic words, which resemble the natural sounds they represent, are an example of ______ signs.
iconic
A few aspects of language are ______, such as the demonstrative pronouns this or that.
indexical
Most language is ______.
symbolic
Ferdinand de Saussure's work is often said to have been the beginning of modern ______.
linguistics
The sequence of sounds constituting a word bears no natural, necessary, logical, or inevitable connection to the thing in the real world which it names. This is known as ______ connection.
arbitrary
Speakers of a language must agree that a word ______ a certain thing.
names
Linguistic agreements ______.
can be changed
An example of a linguistic agreement that has changed is the reference to the cellular or mobile phone which was quickly shortened to ______.
cell phone or mobile
The relation between the linguistic sign and what it signifies is ______ according to Ferdinand de Saussure.
conventional or arbitrary
Iconic signs resemble the things they represent, while symbolic signs are only conventionally related to the things they represent.
True
Onomatopoeic words are the only example of iconic signs in language.
False
Indexical signs have a necessary connection with the things they represent.
True
The word 'apple' is an example of an indexical sign.
False
Ferdinand de Saussure believed that the connection between a linguistic sign and what it signifies is arbitrary.
True
The sound of a word has a natural, logical connection to the thing it names.
False
Linguistic agreements are unchangeable.
False
C. S. Peirce recognised four types of signs.
False
Semantics only focuses on the meanings of individual words.
False
The reference to the cellular or mobile phone was never shortened to 'smartphone'.
False
True or false: Semantics is the study of how meaning is conveyed in sentences?
False
True or false: Grammatical semantics studies the meaning of individual words?
False
True or false: Logical semantics studies the relations between natural language and formal logical systems?
True
True or false: Hyponymy refers to the relationship between words that have the same meaning?
False
True or false: Meronymy refers to the relationship between a part and a whole?
True
True or false: Linguistic signs involve sequences of letters and symbols?
False
True or false: Signs may be related to the things they represent only in one way?
False
True or false: Ferdinand de Saussure recognised three types of signs?
False
True or false: The demonstrative pronouns this or that are an example of an iconic sign in language?
False
True or false: The study of semantics focuses only on the English language?
False
What is the study of semantics concerned with?
How meaning is conveyed in language
What does lexical semantics focus on?
The meaning of individual words
What are the six lexical relations identified in semantics?
Homonymy, polysemy, synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy, and meronymy
What are linguistic signs?
Sequences of sounds that represent concrete objects and events
How many types of signs did philosopher C. S. Peirce recognize?
Three
What is the relationship between signs and what they represent?
Arbitrary
What is the focus of logical semantics?
The relations between natural language and formal logical systems
What did Ferdinand de Saussure mean by 'arbitrary connection'?
The connection between a linguistic sign and what it signifies is based on convention
What is the difference between iconic and symbolic signs?
Iconic signs resemble the things they represent, while symbolic signs are only conventionally related to the things they represent
What is the additional focus of grammatical semantics?
The meaning that results from the interaction of elements in a sentence
What is an example of an indexical aspect of language?
Demonstrative pronouns
What is the main difference between iconic and symbolic signs?
Iconic signs resemble the things they represent, while symbolic signs are only conventionally related to the things they represent
What did Ferdinand de Saussure mean by 'arbitrary connection' between the signifier and the signified?
The connection is based on a shared cultural agreement
What is an example of a symbolic aspect of language?
Words for colors
What is an example of a linguistic agreement that has changed over time?
The meaning of the word 'apple'
What did Ferdinand de Saussure contribute to the field of linguistics?
He argued that the connection between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary
What is an example of a conventional connection between a word and the thing it represents?
Words for colors
What are the three types of signs recognized by philosopher C. S. Peirce?
Iconic, indexical, and symbolic
What is an example of an iconic aspect of language?
Onomatopoeic words
What did Ferdinand de Saussure mean by the 'linguistic sign'?
The sound of a word
Test your knowledge of semantics with this quiz! Explore the meaning of individual words, grammatical structures, and the interaction between elements in a sentence. Brush up on your understanding of lexical, grammatical, and logical semantics with this quiz.
Make Your Own Quizzes and Flashcards
Convert your notes into interactive study material.
Get started for free
