29 Questions
What is a structurally ambiguous sentence?
A sentence with multiple possible meanings due to word combination
What is the significance of the phrase 'with axe' in the example sentence?
It creates ambiguity in the sentence
What is the main focus of Semantics in Linguistics?
The study of meaning in language
How does Semantics inform other sub-disciplines of Linguistics?
It informs language acquisition and sociolinguistics
Which of the following sub-disciplines of Linguistics is closely related to Semantics?
Morphology
What is the primary goal of Semantics in Linguistics?
To understand how meaning is created in language
What is the reason why ripen can be used grammatically either with or without an object?
Because it has different patterns of thematic role
What type of meaning indicates the essential qualities of a concept?
Denotative meaning
What is the theory that suggests language is a communication system with signifiers and signifieds?
Theory of Naming
What aspect of meaning is concerned with the organization of a message for emphasis?
Thematic meaning
What is the term for the additional or associated meaning attached to the denotative meaning?
Connotative meaning
What is the assumption of traditional grammar?
That the word is the basic unit of syntax and semantics
What is the relationship between the sentences 'Martina passed chemistry' and 'What Martina passed was chemistry'?
Paraphrase
What type of relationship between sentences is described by the concept of 'entailment'?
Uni-directional
What is the relationship between the words 'big' and 'large'?
Synonymy
What is presupposed by the sentence 'Martina did not ace chemistry'?
Martina took chemistry
What is the relationship between the concepts of 'entailment' and 'hyponymy'?
They are similar
What is the result when the sentence 'Martina did not ace chemistry' is denied?
The sentence 'Martina took chemistry' cannot be judged true or false
What is the primary difference between our knowledge of reading and writing versus our knowledge of spoken language?
We remember learning to read and write but not spoken language.
What enables us to communicate effectively in our native language?
Our knowledge of how to use the language.
Why does language use follow specific rules and constraints?
So that we can learn it.
What is the result of language being creative?
We can constantly produce and understand new messages in response to new situations and experiences.
What do we know about our native language?
We know the language but we do not fully know what we know.
What is the knowledge that a speaker of a language has about that language?
A vocabulary and the ways to use it.
What is the outcome of the blended space in the scenario described?
A new counterfactual scenario
What is the basis of the new meaning constructed in the blended space?
Complex mapping operations between distinct reality-based scenarios
What can be learned about the original 'input' or reality spaces through the blended space?
The moral sensitivities regarding extramarital affairs are radically different in the United States and France
What is the relationship between the first two spaces and the third blended space?
There are conceptual mappings that relate the first two spaces to the third blended space
Where can more information about mental spaces and conceptual blending be found?
Chapter 9-10
Study Notes
Entailment and Paraphrase
- Entailment is a unidirectional relationship between sentences, where one sentence implies the truth of another sentence.
- Paraphrase is a relationship between sentences where each sentence entails the other.
- Example of paraphrases: "Martina passed chemistry" and "What Martina passed was chemistry".
Presupposition
- Presupposition is a relationship between sentences where the truth of one sentence assumes the truth of another sentence.
- If sentence (a) "Martina aced chemistry" presupposes sentence (b) "Martina took chemistry", then the denial of sentence (a) "Martina did not ace chemistry" also presupposes sentence (b) "Martina took chemistry".
- If Martina did not take chemistry, then "Martina did not ace chemistry" cannot be judged true or false.
Structural Ambiguity
- A sentence is structurally ambiguous if it can have two or more possible meanings due to the words it contains being able to be combined in different ways.
- Example of structurally ambiguous sentence: "Enraged cow injures farmer with axe".
Semantics
- Semantics is the study of meaning in language.
- It looks at how meaning is created in language and how it works as a whole.
- Semantics is informed by other sub-disciplines of linguistics, such as Morphology and Syntax.
Aspects of Meaning of a Word
- Denotative meaning: the logical meaning that indicates the essential qualities of a concept.
- Connotative meaning: the additional or associated meaning attached to the denotative conceptual meaning.
- Social meaning: the meaning a word possesses by virtue of its use in particular social situations and circumstances.
- Thematic meaning: the manner in which a message is organized for emphasis.
Theories of Meaning
- The Theory of Naming: a theory that maintains that language is a communication system that works with two elements; the signifier and the signified.
Language Acquisition
- Language acquisition is a process that is partly conscious and explicit but largely unconscious and implicit.
- We know the language but we do not fully know what we know.
Cognitive Semantics
- Cognitive semantics investigates phenomena such as mental spaces and conceptual blending.
- Conceptual blending combines distinct reality-based scenarios to create a new counterfactual scenario.
Test your understanding of structural ambiguity, a phenomenon where a sentence can have multiple meanings due to the arrangement of words. Learn about the concept, its examples, and how it relates to semantics in linguistics. Improve your knowledge of linguistic theories and concepts!
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