Semantics chapter 3 PG-DIMENSIONS OF WORD MEANING

DIMENSIONS OF WORD MEANING NAMING Ferdinand de Saussure theorizes that a “sign” has two parts: signifier and signified. The signifier is the form that the sign will take, whether it is a sound or image and the signified is the meaning that is conveyed. The word is the signifier which stands for an object. Some things are easy to name but there are imaginary and abstract things such as: love, hate, anger, etc which are not easy to name. We think of names of people or places, which are proper names. Proper names are definite. DENOTATION The denotation of a word is its ‘meaning’ in the narrowest logical and semantic sense: what a word denotes is what it refers to. E.g. the denotation of the word winter corresponds to the season between autumn and spring (no matter whether it is cold or snowing).

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CHAPTER 3

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NAMING

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DENOTATION

- The denotation of a word is its ‘meaning’ in the narrowest logical and 

semantic sense: what a word denotes is what it refers to.

E.g.  the  denotation  of  the  word  winter  corresponds  to  the  season 

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REFERENCE

Eg: My daughter  wants to be a doctor.

(reference in my daughter, not in a doctor)

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REFERENCE

Eg: 

A good student is a person who studies well.

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DENOTATION vsREFERENCE

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SENSE and REFERENCE

SENSE and  REFERENCE are  two  aspects  of  denotation.  A  word’s reference is  the  set  of  things  in  the  real  world  that  it  can  be  used  to 

refer to; a word’s sense is the property or characteristic it describes.

Reference

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SENSE and REFERENCE

a Sue is looking for a dog; I hope she finds it. Its name is Fido.

b. Sue is looking for a dog; I hope she finds one She hasn’t decided yet whether she

wants a retriever or a spaniel.

In (a), the word dog is being used for its reference; a dog in this sentence refers to a  particular  actual  dog.  In  (b),  dog is  being  used  for  its  sense;  a dog means 

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SENSE and REFERENCE

- The sense of a word is its meaning in terms of the rest of the language. 

-  Its  reference  is  the  entity  or  experience  in  the  non-linguistic  world  to  which  it 

relates in a particular utterance.

Compare: 

There is a tree in my garden.

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REFERENCE

- The reference of an expression varies according to 

  (a) circumstances (time, place, etc.), in which the expression is used.  (b) the topic of the conversation in which the expression is used.

The  present Prime Minister  has  variable reference  (1982,  1944)  ><  constant

reference  (the moon, The People’s Republic of China, Angola, Halley’s

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CAUSES OF SEMANTIC CHANGE

1.Extra linguistic causes:  connected  with  development  of  society, 

changes  in  social,  political,  economic,  cultural  life,  in  science  and technology.

2. Linguistic causes: factors acting within language, connected with the 

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NATURE OF SEMANTIC CHANGE

- Elevation of meaning:

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TRANSFERENCE OF MEANING

A word is said to be used in a transferred meaning when it is meant to refer simultaneously to the object or notion which it generally denotes and to another object or notion which is in some way related with the first one on the basis of similarity or association.

Transference from literal meaning to figurative meaning is expressed by the figures of speech.

The most popular figures of speech are: metaphor,

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METAPHOR

Metaphor (an implicit comparison/ hidden

comparison): is the transference of meaning from one object to another based on similarity between two objects

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METAPHOR

Metaphor may be:

• Living: a word is used in unusual meaning:

She lent wings to his imagination (J

London)

Peace is our fortress.

• Faded: lost its freshness because of long use

and became habitual:

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METONYMY

Metonymy:  can  be  defined  as  substitution  of  one  word  for  another 

with which it is associated.

Eg: A kettle boils – the water in the kettle boils.

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METONYMYIn  classic  tradition,  the  following  cases  of  metonymy  are  often presented- We use the name of container instead of the thing contained: to drink a glass

- Names of parts of human body may be used as symbols: to have good

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METONYMY

- The concrete is used instead of abstract: from the cradle to the grave- The  materials  are  used  for  the  things  made  of  the  materials:  glass,

silver…

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HYPERBOLE

a deliberate overstatement or exaggeration

I beg a thousand pardons.I haven't seen you for ages.I'm dying of hunger

I'd give the world to see himShe's got a sea of troubles.

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IRONY

  Its contextual meaning is contrary to the literal meaning for the sake of ridicule or sarcasm.

 

He speaks English so well that nobody can understand.What a nice mess !

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EUPHEMISM

Euphemisms:  use  a  milder  expression  for  something  unpleasant: