General Linguistics Semantics:Introduction 楚军外国语学院
Semantics: Introduction 楚军 外国语学院 General Linguistics
Defining several terms Semantics: --the study of meaning, esp.the study of meaning of the natural language, involving the study of lexical meaning, sentence-meaning (context-independent). utterance-meaning (context-dependent)
Defining several terms Semantics: --the study of meaning, esp. the study of meaning of the natural language, involving the study of lexical meaning, sentence-meaning (context-independent), utterance-meaning (context-dependent)
Defining several terms Denotation(指示意义)： --a relation primarily or basically between expressions and physical entities in the external world. --relating expressions to classes of entities in the world ('dog'). --a word-to-world relation --invariant,utterance-independent
Defining several terms Denotation (指示意义): --a relation primarily or basically between expressions and physical entities in the external world. --relating expressions to classes of entities in the world (‘dog’). --a word-to-world relation --invariant, utterance-independent
Defining several terms Reference(所指意义)： --a relation between words and the things,events, actions and qualities the words stand for. --variable and utterance-dependent (the dog,my dog,the dog biting the postman) Sense(关系意义)： --the set or network of sense-relations between one expression and others of the same language --a word-to-word relation, --interlexical and intralingual,wholly internal to the language system
Defining several terms Reference (所指意义): --a relation between words and the things, events, actions and qualities the words stand for. --variable and utterance-dependent (the dog, my dog, the dog biting the postman) Sense (关系意义): --the set or network of sense-relations between one expression and others of the same language. --a word-to-word relation, --interlexical and intralingual, wholly internal to the language system
Defining several terms Sense and denotation are not only interdependent, they are inversely related to one another: the larger the denotation,the smaller the sense, and conversely. Extension(外延)：relating to the class of entities it defines. Intension(内i☒)：relating to the set of attributes or defining property of the class
Defining several terms • Sense and denotation are not only interdependent, they are inversely related to one another: the larger the denotation, the smaller the sense, and conversely. Extension (外延): relating to the class of entities it defines. Intension (内涵): relating to the set of attributes or defining property of the class
Different branches of semantics Different perspectives of semantics: Linguistic semantics:the study of meaning within linguistics,more attention is paid to the meaning of linguistic units themselves,words, sentences,in particular. Philosophical semantics Logical semantics, Psychological semantics, Anthropological semantics,etc
Different branches of semantics Different perspectives of semantics: • Linguistic semantics: the study of meaning within linguistics, more attention is paid to the meaning of linguistic units themselves, words, sentences, in particular. • Philosophical semantics, • Logical semantics, • Psychological semantics, • Anthropological semantics, etc
Influential schools of semantics General semantics:Korzybski,Stuart Chase Whorfian semantics:B.L.Whorf Logical-Mathematical semantics, Interpretive semantics:N.Chomsky Generative semantics:G.Lakoff Case grammar:C.J.Fillmore Chafe grammar:W.Chafe Montague semantics:R.Montague
Influential schools of semantics General semantics: Korzybski, Stuart Chase • Whorfian semantics: B.L. Whorf • Logical-Mathematical semantics, • Interpretive semantics: N. Chomsky • Generative semantics: G. Lakoff • Case grammar: C.J. Fillmore • Chafe grammar: W. Chafe • Montague semantics: R. Montague
Influential schools of semantics General semantics: --put forward at the end of 1940's,represented by Korzybski and Stuart Chase. The general semanticists insist that all the contradictions, conflicts and struggles in society are caused by the tyranny of words. They advocate a kind of“"language reform”or“semantic reform"(changing the name /word of things to save the word,to get rid of social conflicts.They over- exaggerate the language effect on society
Influential schools of semantics • General semantics: --put forward at the end of 1940’s, represented by Korzybski and Stuart Chase. The general semanticists insist that all the contradictions, conflicts and struggles in society are caused by the tyranny of words. They advocate a kind of “language reform” or “semantic reform” (changing the name /word of things to save the word, to get rid of social conflicts. They overexaggerate the language effect on society
Influential schools of semantics Whorfian semantics: E.Sapir and his student B.L.Whorf,an anthropologist,studied the Amerindian languages.They put forward the famous Sapir- Whorfian hypothesis: --relation between language and thought. Our view of the world is significantly shaped and moulded by language.The language one speaks profoundly affects one's thought process and the way one interprets the world
Influential schools of semantics • Whorfian semantics: E. Sapir and his student B.L. Whorf, an anthropologist, studied the Amerindian languages. They put forward the famous SapirWhorfian hypothesis: --relation between language and thought. Our view of the world is significantly shaped and moulded by language. The language one speaks profoundly affects one’s thought process and the way one interprets the world
Influential schools of semantics Whorfian semantics: The strong version: Linguistic determinism- Language determines thinking The weak version: Linguistic relativism- Speakers of different languages are said to think in different ways
Influential schools of semantics • Whorfian semantics: The strong version: Linguistic determinism— Language determines thinking. The weak version: Linguistic relativism— Speakers of different languages are said to think in different ways
