Semantics"> Consonants Phonology, of Categories Structure Language Phonotactics, andofand Vowels"> and Words Word Linguistics"> and and Classes"> Suprasegmentals"> Processes of Word Formation in English"> TITLE "Chapter Lexical Semantics" SUBJECT "The Structure of Modern English" KEYWORDS "" SIZE HEIGHT "260" WIDTH "154" VOFFSET "1"> Chapter Lexical Semantics Exercise 6.1: Traditional Semantics Consult a number of dictionaries on the meaning of the word hero Then consider the meaning of the word in contemporary usage (in magazines, newspapers, and casual conversation) Does the dictionary meaning reflect the current meaning, or would you say that the meaning has changed and that dictionaries have not kept pace with this change? For the following words, explain the background or contextual information which is necessary to understand the meaning of the word (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) reconcile generous procrastinate patient reputation Discuss the following expressions in respect to the concepts of extention and intension: (a) (b) (c) the instructor of Linguistics 101 the day before yesterday the capital of Brazil Exercise 6.1 Workbook, Page 106 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company Exercise 6.2: Basic Semantic Concepts For the following words, list as many synonyms as you can think of and discuss the connotations that these synonyms have (a) (b) frugal thin (of a person) Fill in the columns below with the appropriate synonym In each case, the word in column A is of English origin and the word in column B is of French or Latin origin Can you make a general statement about the connotations of the words in columns A and B? A feed begin mistake middle B conceal people aid/assist labor vision altitude Describe the semantic relationship expressed by each of the following sentences (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) I’m allergic to nuts There are walnuts in the cookies Flight 2048 arrives and departs at 8:00 a.m George is a pig That is a large bat I appreciate your help You helped me That is a well-known club My brother married a doctor My male sibling joined in wedlock with a physician In walked the corpse The corpse is alive Professor Mulhausen went to his office Professor Mulhausen Exercise 6.2 Workbook, Page 107 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company went to the university (k) He cleaned the keys of the piano (l) They have a love-hate relationship (m) The escaping convict accidentally assassinated the guard (n) Jane ate a piece of chicken Jane ate a piece of poultry (o) My husband is living I am a widow (p) She stepped on an idea (q) Edith amused the salad (r) My brother is an only child (s) He unintentionally committed perjury (t) She wore a colorless pink dress (u) He dusted the plants (v) Othello killed Desdemona Desdemona died (w) He descended from the ground floor to the attic Determine whether the following are cases of homophony or polysemy (a) fine (b) bank (c) monitor (d) tattoo (e) school (f) leech (g) horn (h) ear (i) spell Exercise 6.2 Workbook, Page 108 ‘superior in quality’ ‘a sum of money paid as a penalty’ ‘an incline of land adjoining a river’ ‘a financial institution’ ‘a pupil who assists a teacher’ ‘a device that receives video signals from a computer’ ‘a permanent design on the skin’ ‘a military exercise’ ‘an institution for instruction’ ‘a large group of fish’ ‘a bloodsucking worm’ ‘a physician’ ‘a hanger-on, a sycophant’ ‘a structure projecting from the head of an animal’ ‘a musical instrument’ ‘the organ for hearing’ ‘the seed-bearing spike of a cereal plant’ ‘to name or write the order of the letters in a word’ ‘a magical formula’ ‘a period of time’ Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company (j) butt (k) pilot ‘to hit with the head’ ‘a target (for jokes)’ ‘the larger or thicker end of an object’ ‘one who operates an aircraft or ship’ ‘a television program produced as a prototype of a series’ Say what is presupposed by each of the following sentences (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) Is Frank playing that loud music? What I want for my birthday is a new computer Alistair didn’t go to work today Grace stopped playing the piano several years ago When did Tara go back to school? Sally renewed her subscription to People magazine Which of the following are factive and which nonfactive? (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) John criticized Mark for not working hard enough John acknowledged that Mark was not working hard enough I was hoping that the game was cancelled It turns out that the game was cancelled The student forgot that the assignment was due today The student assumed that the assignment was due today It’s nice that you could get away It’s nice to get away I realized that he had stolen the money I suspected that he had stolen the money Exercise 6.2 Workbook, Page 109 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company Exercise 6.3: Structural Semantics Identify the superordinate term in each set (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) house, shed, building, garage, cottage, hut plate, saucer, cup, soup bowl, dish, serving bowl stream, river, rivulet, creek, brook, tributary glance, peep, stare, leer, look (at), view, watch hurricane, tornado, gale, storm, typhoon Identify the relationship of oppositeness expressed in the following sentences (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) The window pane is open, but it should be shut This class is better than last year’s class This painting is similar to that one He pushed the lever forwards instead of backwards This plant was sick, but now it’s healthy My poor relatives envy my rich relatives Western Bank merged with Eastern Bank It is better to give than to receive Below is one member of a set of scalar adjectives Identify the other member of the set; if an alternative member exists (in a different context), list that as well (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) hard strong short happy light cheap Give the end-of-scale equivalents for these normal scalar adjectives (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) tired wet poor sad hot Exercise 6.3 Workbook, Page 110 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company Name the structural relation expressed by each of the following pairs of words (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) casual/informal parent/offspring university/college right/wrong right/left odd/even odd/unusual bring/take rude/polite wind/breeze moist/damp present/absent fair/foul (ball) (n) (o) (p) (q) (r) (s) (t) (u) (v) (w) (x) (y) intelligent/smart employ/use mathematics/history glass/tumbler doctor/patient own/belong to ancestor/descendant predator/prey benefactor/donor enter/leave rise/fall dress/undress Identify whether the following pairs are examples of antonymy or complementary Are these concepts gradable? (a) (b) (c) clean/dirty drunk/sober fresh/stale Exercise 6.3 Workbook, Page 111 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company Exercise 6.4: Semantic Fields Related to the concept of hyponymy, but more loosely defined, is the notion of a semantic field or domain A semantic field denotes a segment of reality symbolized by a set of related words The words in a semantic field share a common semantic property Most often, fields are defined by subject matter, such as body parts, landforms, diseases, colors, foods, or kinship relations Internally, these may be organized hierarchically (e.g., royalty, military ranks), part to whole (e.g., body parts), sequentially (e.g., numbers), or cyclically (e.g., days of the week, months of the year), as well as with no discernible order A thesaurus is generally organized according to substantive fields (although it also makes use of hyponymy and synonymy) The words which are part of a semantic field enter into sense or meaning relationships with one another Each word delimits the meaning of the next word in the field and is delimited by it; that is, it marks off an area or range within the semantic domain However, there may be a fair amount of overlap in meaning between words in a domain, and it is often difficult to find mutually delimiting terms Within a domain, some words are marked, while some are unmarked; the unmarked members are more frequent, more basic, broader in meaning, easier to learn and remember, not metaphorical, and typically one morpheme or single lexical item The marked members often consist of more than one lexical item and may denote a subtype of the unmarked member Let’s consider some examples of semantic fields The field of “parts of the face” (see the table below, part a) is a substantive field of part to whole Terms within the field are arranged spatially and quite clearly delimited, though there is some overlap between terms such as forehead and temple Terms such as bridge of the nose or eyelids would constitute marked members of the field The field of “stages of life” (see b) is arranged sequentially, though there is considerable overlap between terms (e.g., child, toddler) as well as some apparent gaps (e.g., there are no simple terms for the different stages of adulthood) Note that a term such a minor or juvenile belongs to a technical register, a term such as kid or tot to a colloquial register, and a term such as sexagenarian or octogenarian to a more formal register The semantic field of “water” (see c) could be divided into a number of subfields; in addition, there would appear to be a great deal of overlap between terms such as sound/fjord or cove/harbor/bay The semantic field of “clothing” Exercise 6.4 Workbook, Page 112 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company (see d) is a particularly rich one, with many unmarked terms (such as dress or pants) as well as many marked terms (such as pedal-pushers or smoking jacket) The field of clothing might be organized in many different ways — by sex of wearer, by occasion of wearing, by body part covered, and so on Finally, the field of “jewelry” (see e) would seem to include quite welldelimited terms, with a number of unmarked terms Examples of Semantic Fields: (a) Parts of the Face, (b) Stages of Life, (c) Water, (d) Clothing, and (e) Jewelry (a) parts of the face forehead nose septum eyes chin brow nostrils mouth eyebrows cheeks (b) stages of life new-born infant nursling, suckling baby, babe child, kid toddler, tot preschooler youngster adolescent youth lad/lass preteen teenager, teen juvenile, minor temples bridge/tip of the nose lips eyelids eyelashes jaw jowls young adult adult grown up person middle aged person senior citizen mature person aged person senior citizen, senior old {lady, man, person} sexagenarian septuagenarian octogenarian nonagenarian centenarian (c) water forms: ice, water, steam, vapor, sleet, rain, snow, hail bodies of water: ditch, slough, swamp, narrows, strait, inlet, bight, bayou, brine, deep, firth, loch, tarn, well, reservoir, firth, pool, sea, ocean, lake, pond, bay, inlet, estuary, fjord, sound, gulf, lagoon, Exercise 6.4 Workbook, Page 113 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company cove, harbor water in motion: creek, river, waves, billows, stream, rain, brook, rivulet, tributary, spring frozen water: ice, snow, crystal, sleet, hail, icicle, iceberg, rime, hoarfrost, glacier gas: vapor, steam (d) clothing dress (cocktail-, strapless-, shirtwaist-) toga shift jumpsuit suit vest pajamas bathrobe tee-shirt undershirt turtleneck shorts knickers culottes skirt underwear panties hat cap toque scarf belt tie socks tights gloves mittens shawl cape jacket sweater (e) jewelry ring watch pin crown cufflinks gown (evening-, ball-) parka pullover jumper smock pantsuit sports coat nightgown smoking jacket shirt blouse pants/slacks trousers cut-offs skorts peddle-pushers bloomers brassière girdle beret tam headband earmuffs suspenders gaiters, spats pantyhose stockings muff muffler coat (sports-, rain-, over-, top-, lab-) wind-breaker anorak cardigan apron earring wristwatch pendant tiara stick-pin nose-ring pocket-watch necklace bracelet tie-clasp brooch stud choker anklet belt buckle Now try to list the possible members of the following semantic fields: vocalization Exercise 6.4 Workbook, Page 114 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company types of roads personality traits Exercise 6.4 Workbook, Page 115 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company Answer to Exercise 6.2 (a) (b) neutral to positive in connotation: careful (with one’s money), prudent, thrifty, scotch negative in connotation: stingy, penny-pinching, tight (wad), parsimonious, miserly neutral to positive in connotation: slender, lean, slim, twiggy, delicate, lanky, slight, spare, lightweight, svelt negative in connotation: skinny, scrawny, skeletal, puny, underweight, spindly, gangly, anorexic, wasted, emaciated A feed hide folk begin help mistake work sight middle height B nourish conceal people commence aid/assist error labor vision center altitude The words in Column B all have a more “elevated” or more positive connotation than the words in Column A (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) inclusion contradiction ambiguity — literal/metaphorical ambiguity — homonymy presupposition ambiguity — polysemy paraphrase anomaly contradiction entailment metaphor contradiction Answer to Exercise 6.2 Workbook, Page 125 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company (m) (n) (o) (p) (q) (r) (s) (t) (u) (v) (w) (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) anomaly entailment contradiction anomaly anomaly contradiction contradiction contradiction ambiguity — polysemy entailment contradiction homophony homophony polysemy homophony homophony polysemy polysemy homophony homophony (Actually, the first two definitions are part of the same word, though they are now so far removed from one another in meaning that they are listed as separate words in the dictionary.) homophony polysemy Someone is playing loud music I want something for my birthday Normally Alistair goes to work on this day Grace used to play the piano Tara went back to school Sally already had a subscription, and it had run out or was about to run out Factive: (b), (d), (e), (g), (i) Nonfactive: (a), (c), (f), (h), (j) Answer to Exercise 6.2 Workbook, Page 126 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company Answer to Exercise 6.3 (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) building dish river look (at) storm (a) (b) (c) (d) complementarity converseness symmetry complementarity (e) (f) (g) (h) complementarity antonymy recprocity converseness (a) hard: soft (as in hard/soft bed) hard (= ‘difficult’): easy (as in hard/easy question) hard is unmarked (Soft is in opposition to loud when referring to a sound or voice.) (b) strong : weak (as in strong/weak person or tea) strong : mild (as in strong/mild cheese) strong is unmarked (c) short : long (as in short/long rope or novel) short : tall (as in short/tall person or building) short is marked (d) happy : sad/unhappy happy is unmarked (e) light : dark (as in light/dark color) light : heavy (as in light/heavy box or housework) light is marked (f) cheap/inexpensive : expensive cheap is marked (a) exhausted (b) drenched, soaking (c) destitute (d) despondent (e) scorching (a) synomymy (b) converseness (n) synonymy (o) synonymy Answer to Exercise 6.3 Workbook, Page 127 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) cohyponyms complementarity converseness complementarity synonymy converseness antonymy superordinate — hyponym synonymy complementarity complementarity (p) (q) (r) (s) (t) (u) (v) (w) (x) (y) cohyponyms superordinate — hyponym converseness converseness converseness converseness synonymy reversive reversive reversive All would appear to be examples of antonymy since they are gradable: very {clean, drunk, fresh} or cleaner, drunker, fresher However, we might also conceive of these as complementary concepts in some contexts: e.g., a dish is either clean or not, and legally, one is either drunk or not Answer to Exercise 6.3 Workbook, Page 128 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company Answer to Exercise 6.4 whisper, yell, growl, murmur, cry, shout, bellow, whine, shriek, bark, roar, grunt, groan, call, bawl, whoop, howl, scream, squeal, grumble, screech, shriek, pipe, holler, etc street, alley, lane, path, avenue, way, cul-de-sac, bay, thoroughfare, freeway, highway, carriage-way, expressway, toll road, interstate, secondary road, back-road, etc friendly, sullen, morose, cheerful, reserved, depressed, compulsive, obsessive, prissy, prudish, affected, snobbish, conceited, sociable, vain, vivacious, gregarious, sensitive, self-confident, self-centered, vicious, spiteful, duplicitous, sneaky, repressed, mean, nasty, pretentious, kind, straight-forward, extroverted, introverted, etc Answer to Exercise 6.4 Workbook, Page 129 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company Answer to Exercise 6.5 (a) plans [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [−COLLECTIVE] (b) flu [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [−COLLECTIVE] (c) group [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [+CONCRETE] [+ANIMATE] [±HUMAN] [±MALE] [+COLLECTIVE] (d) appetite [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [−COLLECTIVE] (e) budget [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [−COLLECTIVE] (f) grounds [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [+CONCRETE] [−ANIMATE] [+COLLECTIVE] (g) grounds [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [−COLLECTIVE] (h) ground [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [+CONCRETE] [−ANIMATE] [−COLLECTIVE] (i) seafood [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [+CONCRETE] [+ANIMATE?] [−HUMAN] [+COLLECTIVE] (j) grandparents [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [+ANIMATE] [+HUMAN] [±MALE] [-COLLECTIVE] (k) herd [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [+CONCRETE] [+ANIMATE] [−HUMAN] [±MALE] [+COLLECTIVE] (l) vacation [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [−COLLECTIVE] (m) symptoms [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [+CONCRETE] [−ANIMATE] or [−COUNT] [+COLLECTIVE] (n) responsibility [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [−COLLECTIVE] (o) scenery [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [+CONCRETE] [-COLLECTIVE] (p) receiver [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [+CONCRETE] [−ANIMATE] [−COLLECTIVE] or [+ANIMATE] [±HUMAN] [±MALE] (q) clothes [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [+CONCRETE] Answer to Exercise 6.5 Workbook, Page 130 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company (r) (s) (t) (a) (b) [−ANIMATE] [+COLLECTIVE] bedrest [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [−COLLECTIVE] scissors [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [+CONCRETE] [−ANIMATE] [−COLLECTIVE] requirements [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [-COLLECTIVE] bank (institution) [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [−CONCRETE] bank (building) [+COMMON] [+COUNT] [−CONCRETE] [−ANIMATE] response (verbal/written) [+COMMON] [+COUNT][+CONCRETE] [−ANIMATE] response (reaction) [+COMMON] [−COUNT] [−CONCRETE] Answer to Exercise 6.5 Workbook, Page 131 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company Answer to Exercise 6.6 (a) (b) (c) (d) [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [±VOLUNTARY] (bumping may be either intentional or not) (e) [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] (f) [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (g) [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (h) [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (i) [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (Presumably, coughing is involuntary in this case, though in He coughed to catch her attention, it is voluntary.) (j) [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] (k) [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] (l) [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (m) [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (Engagement might seem [+TELIC] since it leads up to marriage, but even if marriage does not occur, the couple can be said to have been engaged.) (n) [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (o) [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] (p) [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (q) [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] (r) [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (s) [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (Although drinking (to excess) is voluntary and durative, getting drunk is not really voluntary but is a change of state that simply happens.) (a) (b) [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] Answer to Exercise 6.6 Workbook, Page 132 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [+STATIVE] [+DURATIVE] [−TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [+VOLUNTARY] [−STATIVE] [−DURATIVE] [+TELIC] [−VOLUNTARY] (a) (i) Adele is playing (the piano) (ii) Adele played on the piano (iii) Adele played on (b) (i) Adele played a game of chess (ii) Adele played two sets of tennis (iii) Adele played from o’clock to o’clock (c) Adele played popular music on the piano (a) (i) (ii) (iii) (b) (i) (ii) (iii) (c) Adrian read yesterday Adrian read in the novel Adrian read on Adrian read a novel Adrian read two novels Adrian read to the end of the novel Adrian read out the words (actually N – V – Prt – N) Adrian read science fiction Answer to Exercise 6.6 Workbook, Page 133 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company Answer to Exercise 6.7 (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) E — It is possible that I am getting sick E — It is possible that you are pregnant; I think you are E — It is certain that nitric acid dissolves zinc; I know it does D — John is obliged to leave now; he has reasons to so D — He has permission to miss class or he is able to miss class D — You are obliged to clean your room; I want you to so A — It is likely that he did pass the examination, judging from appearances (E) It is necessary that he have passed the examination, in order to graduate (D) (More common in this case to say He must pass the exam.) (h) E — It is possible that you could have fallen (i) E — Cocktail parties are likely to be boring (j) A — We could something to discourage her (D) It is possible that she is discouraged (E) (k) D — I intend to marry her (This is the strict reading The sentence has a looser meaning of prediction, hence an epistemic reading.) (l) D — It is your obligation to be ashamed of yourself (m) E — It is not possible that you are being serious (n) D — Harris is obliged to retire (o) A — It is possible that he will try harder (E) He is obliged to try harder (D) (p) E — It is possible for her to be very obstinate (q) D — Guests are not permitted to use their cellular phones (r) D — Only experts have permission or have the ability to advance (s) A — She is obliged to be careful with her money (D) From appearances, I deduce that she is careful (E) (t) E — It is likely that Grant is in New York (u) A — It is possible that the movie won’t be violent (E) I am requiring that the movie not be violent (D) (v) E — It is possible that the revised paper will be better (E) The revised paper is not as good as it should be (E) Answer to Exercise 6.7 Workbook, Page 134 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company (a) (b) (c) (d) main verb — You are obliged not to say a thing modal — She is not obliged to resit the exam modal — I am not able to reach the upper shelf main verb — I am willing not to interfere Answer to Exercise 6.7 Workbook, Page 135 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company Answer to Exercise 6.8 core members: chair, stool, bench, rocking chair, armchair, couch, sofa, divan, chaise longue, daybed, loveseat, recliner, easy-chair, table (coffee-, dining-), desk, console, crib, cradle, bed, cot, bookcase, stereo/t.v cabinet, sideboard, buffet, dresser, bureau, chest, wardrobe, coat rack, hat rack, umbrella stand peripheral members: throne, dais, cupboard, cabinet, counter, bunk, stretcher, hammock, altar, pulpit, lectern, podium, workbench, sink, toilet, lamp, mirror, carpet, picture, drapes, blinds, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, picnic table, lawn chair (may be core?) Core members must be moveable, not built in, used inside the home for everyday use lectern, podium, pulpit, altar — not used in the home cabinet, cupboard, workbench, altar, sink, toilet — not moveable throne, dais, stretcher — not for everyday use hammock, workbench, picnic table, lawn chair — not used inside the home sink, toilet — not moveable, would be considered “fixtures” mirror, lamp, picture, carpet, drapes, blinds — would be considered “furnishings” dishwasher, washing machine, dryer — not moveable, would be considered “appliances” Answer to Exercise 6.8 Workbook, Page 136 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company Answer to Exercise 6.9 (a) (b) (c) (d) study — requires [+HUMAN] subject surprise — requires [+ANIMATE] object slither — requires [+SNAKE] or [+WORM] subject invest — requires [+HUMAN] subject and [+MONETARY] object (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) (o) (p) (q) (r) (s) (t) (u) (v) (w) synesthesia tautology oxymoron paradox apparent tautology metonymy (= ‘a professorship’) personification synedoche synesthesia tautology metonymy (pen = ‘writing’; sword = ‘fighting’) synecdoche (= ‘a car’) personification/tautology synesthesia metaphor metonymy (= ‘great effort, hard work’) oxymoron metaphor metaphor apparent tautology metonymy (board = ‘food’) metaphor synecdoche (However, table linen is often not made of linen anymore.) (x) metonymy (y) apparent tautology (z) metaphor (aa) tautology (bb) tautology Answer to Exercise 6.9 Workbook, Page 137 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company (cc) oxymoron (dd) tautology (ee) oxymoron (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (a) (b) The adjective pregnant has the restriction that it cooccur with a noun that is [−MALE]; pause is [−ANIMATE], and the feature of maleness is hence not relevant In this case, it is the secondary feature of [+EXPECTANT] in pregnant which seems to be in the forefront The expression is metaphorical Eloquent has the restriction that it cooccur with a noun with the feature [+SPEECH] or at least [+ORAL]; silence is [−ORAL] Therefore, this expression is an oxymoron The verb love selects a subject which is [+ANIMATE], and probably [+HUMAN] as well The noun misery is [−CONCRETE], hence [−ANIMATE] In this case, however, misery seems to have taken on the feature [+ANIMATE] by a process of personification Bitter selects a noun which is [+GUSTATORY], while reproach is [+SPEECH]; hence, this expression is a case of synesthesia Both joint and partnership contain the notion of [+JOINING]; thus, this expression is tautological Ideas are food to be consumed Reputation/renown is equated with physical size Ideas are equated to money A conversation is like a container which collects things Social rank is equated to height on a vertical scale Physical well-being is equated to height on a vertical scale Emotional well-being equated to height on a vertical scale focus interpretation: the thoughts are fully formed or developed (like ripe fruit) vehicle interpretation: the thoughts are like fruit/vegetables — organic, capable of growth to maturity, nourishing, perhaps even on the verge of rotting if not eaten (acted upon) focus interpretation: the lovers are luxuriating in, indulging, enjoying their happiness (as one does water in a bath) Answer to Exercise 6.9 Workbook, Page 138 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company Language Verb andandSentence Complementation"> Speech Teaching"> Types"> Acts"> (c) vehicle interpretation: “gladnesse”, or lovers’ happiness, is like bath water — soothing, warming, cleansing, revitalizing, restoring focus interpretation: one can see in the poet the effects of aging vehicle interpretation: the effects of aging resemble a tree in the late fall — barren, desolate, stark, depleted, reduced from some prior, richer state Answer to Exercise 6.9 Workbook, Page 139 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company [...]... they are once more close generous: describes a person who is willing to give or share; this giving or sharing is perhaps above the norm of what is expected; this quality is considered a virtue or a sign of nobility of character procrastinate: describes the tendency to put off something or delay in doing something; the thing delayed is unpleasant in some way but is deemed necessary or is expected; procrastination... qualities Furthermore, this bravery is usually in the face of danger and is selfless Does this definition seem to coincide with the use of the word in contexts such as “sports hero”? How would the definition need to be modified? 2 (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) 3 (a) (b) reconcile: once there was a friendly relationship between two or more parties; something happened to create a rift or distancing; now this rift has healed... as a character defect patient: describes the quality of enduring or bearing something with equanimity or calmness; this something is unpleasant (pain, difficulty, deprivation, etc.) but unavoidable; patience is seen as a positive characteristic, a virtue reputation: describes the quality of being well (or ill) thought of; this recognition must be generally acknowledged and must be the result of actions... have passed the examination, in order to graduate (D) (More common in this case to say He must pass the exam.) (h) E — It is possible that you could have fallen (i) E — Cocktail parties are likely to be boring (j) A — We could do something to discourage her (D) It is possible that she is discouraged (E) (k) D — I intend to marry her (This is the strict reading The sentence has a looser meaning of prediction,... well The noun misery is [−CONCRETE], hence [−ANIMATE] In this case, however, misery seems to have taken on the feature [+ANIMATE] by a process of personification Bitter selects a noun which is [+GUSTATORY], while reproach is [+SPEECH]; hence, this expression is a case of synesthesia Both joint and partnership contain the notion of [+JOINING]; thus, this expression is tautological Ideas are food to be consumed... vacation close proximity extinct life 3 Explain what is “wrong” with each of the following expressions using semantic features and the notion of selectional restrictions Example: a fatherless orphan Answer: fatherless has the feature [−FATHER], while orphan also has the feature [−FATHER]; thus, this expression is tautological (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) pregnant pause eloquent silence misery loves company bitter... extensions, as different people may teach this course from year to year or even in any given year The phrase “the day before yesterday” has a single intension as well, but the actual day referred to differs depending upon which Answer to Exercise 6.1 Workbook, Page 123 Laurel J Brinton The Structure of Modern English © John Benjamins Publishing Company (c) day this phrase is spoken The phrase “the capital... they are now so far removed from one another in meaning that they are listed as separate words in the dictionary.) homophony polysemy Someone is playing loud music I want something for my birthday Normally Alistair goes to work on this day Grace used to play the piano Tara went back to school Sally already had a subscription, and it had run out or was about to run out 6 Factive: (b), (d), (e), (g), (i)... 6.5: Semantic Features (Nouns) 1 Using the inherent features of nouns discussed in the chapter, analyze the underlined noun in each of the following sentences: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) (o) (p) (q) (r) (s) (t) Have you made plans for tonight? He had the flu last week The group made its way through the forest He has a very healthy appetite We have managed to stay within... is [−ANIMATE], and the feature of maleness is hence not relevant In this case, it is the secondary feature of [+EXPECTANT] in pregnant which seems to be in the forefront The expression is metaphorical Eloquent has the restriction that it cooccur with a noun with the feature [+SPEECH] or at least [+ORAL]; silence is [−ORAL] Therefore, this expression is an oxymoron The verb love selects a subject which