Chapter 3 dimensions of word meaning group 4

THUONGMAI UNIVERSITY FALCUTY OF ENGLISH LINGUISTIC DIVISION  ASSIGNMENT TOPIC: DIMENSIONS OF WORD MEANING Course : Semantics Lecturer : Nguyen Thi Thuy Chung Group : 04 Class code : H2001ENTH0911 Ha Noi - 2020 Chapter 3: Dimensions of word meaning MEMBERS OF GROUP 04 No Student’s card Name 18D170120 Bui Thi Thu Huong 17D170134 Le Thi Huyen N3 17D170195 Le Thi Huyen N4 17D170015 Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen 18D1700167 Tran Khanh Huyen 17D170316 Ho Thai Khanh 17D170317 Pham Thi Kim 18D170198 Vu Thi Thuy Lam 17D170018 Phung Thi Thanh Lan 10 17D170078 Ta Thanh Lan Self Evaluation Leader Evaluation Group’s Leader Ho Thai Khanh MEETING MINUTES Topic: Date of Meeting: Meeting Purpose: Dimensions of word meaning 01/07/2020 Discuss the topic and assign tasks to member Time: 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Leader: Ho Thai Khanh Chapter 3: Dimensions of word meaning Attendance at Meeting 10 members Name Position Ho Thai Khanh Group leader Bui Thi Thu Huong Group member Le Thi Huyen N3 Group member Le Thi Huyen N4 Group member Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen Group member Tran Khanh Huyen Group member Pham Thi Kim Group member Vu Thi Thuy Lam Group member Phung Thi Thanh Lan Group member Ta Thanh Lan Secretary Content of the meeting Deciding on the outline of the assignment: Assigning tasks to each member Deciding on the due dates of tasks: - Deadline: 08/07/2020 Duties Outline Introduction Naming Denotation, Reference and Sense Words Ho Thai Khanh (Slide) Presenter Ho Thai Khanh Chapter 3: Dimensions of word meaning The change and development of meaning 4.1 Definition of semantic change Vu Thi Thuy Lam Phung Thi Thanh Lan Pham Thi Kim Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen 4.2.Causes of semantic change 4.3 Nature of semantic change Transference of meaning 5.1 Metaphor 5.1.1 Definition 5.1.2 The difference between metaphor and simile 5.1.3 Some basis of metaphor transference 5.2 Metonymy 5.2.1 Definition 5.2.2 The cases of metonymy Bui Thi Thu Huong Le Thi Huyen N3 5.2.3 Metaphor vs metonymy 5.3 Others ( definition + examples) 5.3.1 Hyperbole 5.3.2 Litotes Tran Khanh Huyen 5.3.3 Irony Le Thi Huyen N4 5.3.4 Euphemism Practice exercises Ta Thanh Lan Wednesday, July 1st, 2020 Chapter 3: Dimensions of word meaning Group’s leader Ho Thai Khanh TABLE OF CONTENT Introduction English is a language that has been taught in Vietnam for decades and it is considered to be an international language used in many fields Nowadays, English is widely recognized as the key language in the integration process into the world To have a good command of English, Vietnamese leaners have to face a lot of difficulties such as using English grammar, using vocabulary, etc In English, words are not always used directly or literally, and sometimes they might have more than just one meaning To define and clarify the meaning of the words have never been an easy task for linguists There have been many attempts designed to define what the meanings of the word are Traditionally, linguists have referred to the meaning of words in two parts that are denotation and connotation For example, when someone gives you a rose, we can see that a rose in denotative meaning is a red rose with a green stem, but in the connotative meaning, it is a symbol of passion and love – so when they give you a rose, it means that they love you But sometimes we don‘t pay attention to that and sometimes we misunderstand and get confused However, linguists also realize the need to distinguish what a word or expression denotes from what they can be used to refer to, that is, to tell the difference between denotation and reference There is also another dimension to the lexical meaning of words such as “man, star”, that is traditionally called sense Studying semantic in general and the components of word meaning, in particular, are necessary for students of English so that we can understand and use them more effectively This study will be analyzing the different layers of word meaning and discuss how the meaning of words can change and develop Naming Human beings name things in their environment The name helps to distinguish and identify what the thing is and is essential to communicate with a fellow human In Plato’s Cratylus, he stated that the word is a signifier that stands for an object While this idea works very well with nouns which are usually used to denote objects, it doesn’t work well with nouns denoting abstract concepts such as love, hate, and anger Moreover, when dealing with other parts of speech such as prepositions, adjectives, articles, etc, it is difficult to extend this theory to include these parts of speech For example, it is almost impossible to name an action like “flowing” because one can visualize the image of the river flowing but the issue of naming “flowing” is almost out of the question However, this theory is useful in some other situations, such as distinguishing two kinds of worlds, one is the real worlds containing those objects as we know them, the real world and the imaginary world made up of things such as unicorn, ogre, fairy, the imaginary world Denotation, Reference and Sense 3.1 Denotation and Reference The differences between denotation and reference are that denotation is the ability of a word to identify all those things or objects that are covered by it while reference is the relationship between a word and what it refers to Referring is what speakers and denoting is a property of words For example: The fat man is talking In this sentence, “the fat man” will evoke the image of an overweight man which is the denotative meaning of the words However, when put in a specific context, such as when the president of the USA is talking, we can understand that the fat man here refers to Donald Trump When put in a specific context like this, the denotative meaning of the word “fat” hasn’t changed because the president of the USA can be correctly described as “fat” and the only thing that changes is who the speaker is referring to, a man in general or the president of the USA As you can see, depends on the context, a word can refer to different things and have different meanings, however, no matter what the context is, a word will have the same denotation meaning This is why the denotation of a word or expression is invariant and utterance independent while the reference is variable and utterance dependent By making a reference, a speaker wants to indicate a particular thing in a particular situation, not a thing in general 3.2 Reference of Sense Another aspect of word meaning is the sense of the word While the reference deals with the relationships between language and the word, sense deals with the relationship inside language itself For example: Watch out for the dog In this sentence, “the dog” is used to refer to the actual dog in the real world When making this utterance, the speaker wants to refer to the dog in the real world that the listener has to watch out for However, what if the person who heard this utterance has not seen the actual dog yet, then they will first form a mental image of what a dog is inside their head, which is possible thanks to the sense of the word “dog” The sense of a word is the mental representation of that word, an abstract concept, and not a physical object while the reference of a word is the physical representation of that word in the real world Sense and reference are generally interdependent because one would not know what object the word is referring to without knowing the sense of that word first For example: Watch out for the python If the person who listens to this utterance has not seen what a python is which means they don’t know the sense of the word “python” then they won’t be able to understand what the speaker wants to refer to The change and development of meaning 4.1 Definition of semantic change Semantic change is a form of language change regarding the evolution of word usage The development of vocabulary is first of all reflected in the development of semantic structure of the words: new meanings of the words appear; some old meanings drop out of the language or coexist with the new ones E.g.: - New meanings of the words appear: • “Awful” originally meant "inspiring wonder (or fear)" This word used originally as a shortening for "full of awe", in contemporary usage the word usually has negative meaning “extremely bad” • The word “relieve” once meant “to make (something) stand out” Now it means “to free from a burden”, “to replace or take the place of” - Some old meanings drop out of the language or coexist with the new ones • The word “silly” once meant “happy” but now its meaning refers to the foolish • The word “husband” in old English meant “master of the house”, now it means “a man joined to a woman in marriage” • The word 'gay' originally meant "lighthearted", "joyous" or "happy" The word now refers to “a homosexual person” 4.2 Causes of semantic change - Extra linguistic causes: connected with the development of society, changes in social, political, economic, cultural life, in science and technology: + Objects are changed or our concepts are changed E.g.: The word “space” from the meanings of “extension” or “intervening distance” came to mean “the limitless expanse in which everything exists” and more recently came to be used especially in the meaning of “outer space” + The words used by a particular group of people pass into general usage or vice versa E.g.: The word “harvest” has a specific definition in agriculture: “to gather a crop” but this word also has a more general meaning which is “to receive the benefits or consequences of an action” - Linguistic causes: connected with the system of language: + Ellipsis or contraction of a phrase E.g.: The verbs “starve” in Old English (OE Steorfan) had the meaning ‘to die’ and was habitually used in collocation with the word hunger (ME.Sterven of hunger) Already in the 16th century the verb itself acquired the meaning “to die of hunger” 10 +Discrimination of synonyms: E.g.: The word “land” in Old English meant both “solid part of earth’s surface” and “the territory of a nation” When in the Middle English period the word “country” was borrowed as its synonym, the meaning of the word “land” was somewhat altered and “the territory of a nation” came to be denoted mainly by the borrowed word “country” + Attraction of synonyms: E.g.: • The word “catch” acquired the meaning “to understand” and its synonyms “grasp, get” acquired this meaning too • All English adverbs which acquired the meaning “rapidly” (in a certain period of time - before 1300) always develop the meaning “immediately” - Psychological reasons (taboos, euphemisms): concern the avoidance of expressing explicitly problematic concepts such as death, excretion or sex E.g.: • The word “crafty” meaning “skilled” is often used as a euphemism of the word “dishonest”, but the meaning comes from the inference and relates to this lexical unit • The word “pass away” is used to replace the word “die” 4.3 Nature of semantic change - Change of evolvement of the denotation: + Meaning extended: more general or more inclusive than its historically earlier form: • The meaning is widened E.g.: the word "business", which originally meant "a state of being busy, careworn or anxious", but has now broadened to include all kinds of work occupations • The meaning is generalized E.g.: the word “case” has now to be used in quite a range of situations with its general meaning of “circumstances in which a person or thing is” Compare its specialized meaning: a lawsuit or a patient 11 + Meaning narrowed: the meaning is specialized, less general or less inclusive than its historically earlier form: E.g.: • “Queen” firstly used as “wife” but now it is more specific because it is just used for “the wife of the king” • The world “girl”, which originally meant a child of either gender, rather than a female child - Change or evolvement of the connotation + Degradation of meaning (deterioration): the meaning of the word becomes more negative or less favorable E.g.: • The word “knave”, which originally meant “boy” or “servant” now refers to “rogue” • “Vulgar” once was used to denote “common, ordinary” but in modern usage it means “coarse, low, and ill-bred” • The word "accident" once simply meaning "a chance event" now has associations with misfortune and injury, so we assume that when someone has "had an accident" it was not a positive experience + Elevation of meaning: the meaning of a word becomes more positive or favorable E.g.: • The word "sick" has obvious negative connotations of illness that are still connected to the word today, but it has also become a popular slang term for something cool, for example, "that's sick!" • “A knight” meant “a boy, youth”, but now it means “a noble, courageous man” • The word “pretty” once was used to denote “tricky, sly wily”, but now it means “charming and attractive” Transference of meaning 5.1 Metaphor 5.1.1 Definition 12 Metaphor is the transference of meaning from one object to another based on similarity between these two In other words, we call one object by the name of another because we compare these objects and find some common features between them Through a metaphor, some qualities are transferred from a source domain (tangible objects) to a target domain (ideas) Example: That woman is a witch +Target domain: that woman- ugly, cruel +Source domain: witch – having magic powers and doing evil things +Similarity: unpleasant, cruel 5.1.2 The difference between metaphor and simile: Criteria Feature Meaning Form Metaphor Impliedly compare two objects Metaphor describes someone or something by referring to someone or something else which is same in a specific way - It does not use connectives as it indicates that the subject is something In other words, it has no elements of comparison -A form of figurative language Result Example Simile Direct comparison of two things An expression that helps to compare two varied things, having elements of comparison (“ as” and “like”) - We make use of connectives such as ‘like’ and ‘as’ to indicate that the subject is similar to something In other words, it has elements of comparison -A form of metaphor May lead to confusion when Clearly just a comparison taken literally -My brother is doraemon -Peter is as tall as a giraffe -Amir is a live encyclopedia -The man donkey laughs like -She was the heroine of the movie -He argues like a lawyer 5.1.3 Some basis of metaphor transference - Shape: 13 a E.g: Because the nose is a sharpened body part, it is possible to call the pointed parts of things that are the nose: the bow of a boat, the tip of a knife, the needle of a needle, etc - Position: especially widely used are the metaphoric meaning of word denoting parts of human body: the manner of the parts of human body are transferred to other objects E.g: the nose of a plane, the head of the school, the leg of the table… - Movement: E.g: She wormed her way through the crowd - Function: finger of instrument, the key to the mystery… - Color: orange, rose, pink, green… - Size: midget, elephantine… 5.2 Metonymy 5.2.1 Definition Metonymy is the substitution of one word for another with which it is associated In other word, instead of the name of one object or notion we use the name of another because these objects are associates and closely related Examples: • England decides to keep check on immigration (England refers to the government.) • The pen is mightier than the sword (Pen refers to written words, and sword to military force.) • The Oval Office was busy in work (The Oval Office is a metonymy, as it stands for people who work in the office.) 5.2.2 Basic of the transference According to standard traditional, Metonymy is defined as a “figure in which one word is substituted for another on the basic of some material, causal or conceptual relation Some substitutions include: place-for-institution, thing-for-perception, objectfor-possessor, part-for-whole, and place-for-event Here are exemplified below: 14 • After the protests, maybe Washington will listen to the voters: Washington( place) refers to the US government ( institution) -> Place-for• institution My brother was just released from the big house: The big house - to refer to prison, this is American slang and also American perception -> thing-for- • perception Look lively, the top brass are coming for an audit today: Brass - used in place of high-ranking officials -> object-for-possessor • Can you give me a hand carrying this box up the stairs? : Hand- for help, the hand here refers to the person who wants to help -> part-for-whole • Dien Bien Phu marked the defeat of the French army Dien Bien Phu is a place where the fierce battle between the Vietnamese army and the French army occurred and we won forced the French army to surrender -> place-for-event 5.2.3 Case of metonymy - Name of parts of human body as symbol Examples: • Tell me about his warm heart: A "warm heart" refers to a very emotional man who always care about others • Perfect choice, you have a good eye “A good eye” that mean this person can be a very smart or professional on a job - Name of container instead of thing contained Examples: • The box is full Box is a container with a flat base and sides, typically square or rectangular and having a lid, used for containing something Metonymy sense can be paper /clothes… • He drank the whole bottle Bottle is a container, typically made of glass or plastic and with a narrow neck, used for storing drinks or other liquids Metonymy sense can be water, beer or soda… - The concrete is used instead of abstract Example: He had come to the end of the path of a lifetime The end of the road is not about the end of a road that people go everyday but about dead - The materials are used for the things made of the materials Examples: 15 • Could you lend me that glass? Glass is hard and transparent material and metonymy sense is a container made of glass • There is a silk in the wardrobe Silk refers to a dress or towel Silk is a material used for making clothes … - The name of author instead of his work Examples: • I really like reading Nam Cao Nam Cao is an author of Vietnam And this refers to his works • I often listen to Beethoven Beethoven is a famous musician and he has many beautiful songs and this Beethoven refers to his songs - Part for the whole and vice versa Examples: • The team needs some new blood if it is going to win next season New blood - used in place of new people, fresh ideas • Tell me about head count Head is part of body of human; head count refers to amount of people - Items of clothing instead of the one who wears them Example: She always runs after the T-shirt T-shirt refers to person who wears it - Symbol to refer to representative Examples: • Silicon Valley is constantly pushing the boundaries in innovation Silicon Valley • - to refer to the tech industry It seems like people will whatever Hollywood says is cool Hollywood - to refer to the film industry • America in order to build up a good relationship with Vietnam America refers to American government - Spatial relation Example: He was elected chair of the city council Chair is position of being in charge of the meeting or a committee But here, it refers to the person who holds the position of being in charge of a meeting or a committee - Causal relation 16 Example: Fear of failure was bred into him at an early age Fear mean danger (original use).The bad feeling that you have when you are in danger - Geographical relation Examples: She has bought a new pair of China towels China is a name of country But • here it refers to silk • Hanoi won the match yesterday Hanoi is name of city, but it refers to a sport team - Function relation Example: She keyboards 10 pages in Excel “Keyboard” is a panel of keys that operate a computer or typewriter But here it refers to enter something 5.2.4 Metonymy vs Metaphor Metonymy Metaphor - Based on similarity - Based on contiguity E.g the children were flowers grown in E.g US dollars have dominated the world economy for decades concrete gardens US dollars refer to American economy America is always at top of economic development 5.3 Others 5.3.1 Hyperbole - Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement not meant to be understood literally but with powerful effect - Examples: • I've told you to clean your room a million times! This does not mean that this person has mentioned a million times, using hyperbole here means to explain that this person has repeated it many times in the past • He's got tons of money In this example, the speaker claims that he has a ton of money! Of course, this does not mean that there is actually a ton of money The speaker is using hyperbole to emphasize that he has a lot of money • The car went faster than the speed of light 17 In this example, the speaker said that there is a car that runs at the speed of light, not because the car can actually that, but the speaker uses hyperbole here to show that it runs really fast • She’s going to die of embarrassment This does not mean that the girl is going to get sick or that her heart will stop due to embarrassment Instead, the speaker is using hyperbole to emphasize just how embarrassed she’s going to feel 5.3.2 Litotes - Definition: Litotes is an understatement expressing something in the affirmative by the negative of its contrary - Examples: • I cannot disagree with your point of view ( totally agree) • You are not doing badly at all (do work good) • You are not as young as you used to be (old) • Your presentation is not bad (good) Irony - Definition: The item “irony” is taken from rhetoric What it does is to express 5.3.3 meaning by words of the opposite sence Here is important to note that important to note that intonton has a very essential role to play in getting this message across - Examples: • I have just seen a really helpful video on youtube about how to eat with your mouth • (When the weather is raining heavily) “ What a pleasant day” 5.3.4 Euphemisms - Definition: Euphemisms involve the use of a milder expression for something unpleasant - Examples: • “On the streets” instead of “homeless” 18 • “Correctional facility” instead of “jail” PRACTICE EXERCISES Exercise 1: What types of meaning transference the following sentence belongs to? He was a lion in the fight His words stabbed at her heart I will make him eat his word His Majesty died years ago Don’t live in such a sea of doubt! He is so intelligent that no examiner has agreed to pass him so far I’m afraid he has misrepresented the facts I am the captain of my soul We are tired to death of this movie 10 He is as mute as a fish 19 Exercise 2: Identify and comment on the type of metaphor and metonymy in the following sentences: English is the key to success The White House released a statement last week He bought a Ford My dear, you have all of my heart Her tears were a river flowing down her cheeks ANSWER KEYS Ex1 What types of meaning transference the following sentence belongs to? Metaphor (the whole sentence means He fought bravely and successfully just like a lion in the fight for food) Metaphor (“his words” didn’t actually stab, but their effect is implicitly compared to the stabbing of a knife So it means that: Like a knife, his words are so sharp that they can cause great pain or much unhappiness for her.) Metaphor (I’ll make him admit that what he said is wrong) Metonymy (Majesty = the King) Hyperbole (Don’t be too suspicious) Irony (He is stupid) Euphemisms (= He has told lies) Metonymy 20 + The captain (specific) stands for the leader (generic) + My soul (abstract) stands for my life (less abstract or more specific) Hyperbole (Tired to death is an overstatement which mean extremely bored with) 10 Simile (= He rarely speaks or he is quiet.) Ex2 Identify and comment on the type of metaphor and metonymy in the following sentences: Faded metaphor Metonymy (Symbol to refer to representative The White House represents for the American President) Metonymy (The name of author instead of his works In this case, Ford refers to a type of car named after Henry Ford) Metonymy (The concrete instead of the abstract Heart is an organ of the body that substitutes for the abstract of love or emotion) Living metaphor (in the sentence, the metaphor is a creative way of saying that the person is crying a lot There are so many tears that they remind the writer of a river) 21 .. .Chapter 3: Dimensions of word meaning MEMBERS OF GROUP 04 No Student’s card Name 18D170120 Bui Thi Thu Huong 17D170 1 34 Le Thi Huyen N3 17D170195 Le Thi Huyen N4 17D170015 Nguyen... Date of Meeting: Meeting Purpose: Dimensions of word meaning 01/07/2020 Discuss the topic and assign tasks to member Time: 2 :30 PM – 4: 00 PM Leader: Ho Thai Khanh Chapter 3: Dimensions of word meaning. .. development of semantic structure of the words: new meanings of the words appear; some old meanings drop out of the language or coexist with the new ones E.g.: - New meanings of the words appear: