General Linguistics Semantics. Types of Word Meaning 楚军外国语学院
Semantics: Types of Word Meaning 楚军 外国语学院 General Linguistics
Main Types of word meaning Grammatical meaning (1)Word-class: different parts of speech of words. (2)Inflectional paradigm: for nouns,the plural form and the genitive case form; for main verbs,the verb endings:-s,-ing,-ed; for adjectives and adverbs,the comparative-er and the superlative -est form of gradable ones
Main Types of word meaning Grammatical meaning (1) Word-class: different parts of speech of words. (2) Inflectional paradigm: for nouns, the plural form and the genitive case form; for main verbs, the verb endings: -s, -ing, -ed; for adjectives and adverbs, the comparative –er and the superlative –est form of gradable ones
Main Types of word meaning Lexical meaning denotative meaning connotative meaning stylistic meaning affective meaning reflected meaning collocative meaning thematic meaning
Main Types of word meaning Lexical meaning denotative meaning connotative meaning stylistic meaning affective meaning reflected meaning collocative meaning thematic meaning
Lexical Meaning denotative meaning: also called conceptual/cognitive/logical meaning, involving the relationship between a linguistic unit (esp.a lexical item)and the non-linguistic entities to which it refers. It is a kind of word-to-world relationship. Denotative meaning of a word is the central factor in linguistic communication,which makes communication possible
Lexical Meaning • denotative meaning: also called conceptual/cognitive/logical meaning, involving the relationship between a linguistic unit (esp. a lexical item) and the non-linguistic entities to which it refers. It is a kind of word-to-world relationship. Denotative meaning of a word is the central factor in linguistic communication, which makes communication possible
Lexical Meaning connotative meaning --referring to the emotional association which a word or a phrase suggests in one's mind,and it is the supplementary value to the denotative meaning of a word. "woman":its denotative meaning is "female adult human being", but its connotative meanings may have "frail,prone to tears,emotional,inconstant,gentle,compassionate, hardworking,etc.” Tom is a pig.Mary is a fox
Lexical Meaning • connotative meaning --referring to the emotional association which a word or a phrase suggests in one’s mind, and it is the supplementary value to the denotative meaning of a word. “woman”: its denotative meaning is “female adult human being” , but its connotative meanings may have “frail, prone to tears, emotional, inconstant, gentle, compassionate, hardworking, etc.” Tom is a pig. Mary is a fox
Lexical Meaning stylistic meaning Anyone should adjust his language so as to make it appropriate in various situations in terms of the four aspects: the social relationship; the occasion; the subject matter; the mode of discourse
Lexical Meaning • stylistic meaning Anyone should adjust his language so as to make it appropriate in various situations in terms of the four aspects: the social relationship; the occasion; the subject matter; the mode of discourse
Lexical Meaning stylistic meaning Five forms of styles: oratorical or frozen, deliberate, consultative, casual, intimate. These five styles can be simplified to three types: formal-neutral-informal
Lexical Meaning stylistic meaning Five forms of styles: oratorical or frozen, deliberate, consultative, casual, intimate. These five styles can be simplified to three types: formal—neutral—informal
Lexical Meaning stylistic meaning (1)horse (neutral),steed,charger,palfrey (poetic), nag (slang),gee-gee (childish); (2)home (neutral),residence (formal),domicile (officially formal),abode (poetic); (3)small (neutral),diminutive (formal),tiny (colloquial),wee (dialectal,Scotch)
Lexical Meaning • stylistic meaning (1) horse (neutral), steed, charger, palfrey (poetic), nag (slang), gee-gee (childish); (2) home (neutral), residence (formal), domicile (officially formal), abode (poetic); (3) small (neutral), diminutive (formal), tiny (colloquial), wee (dialectal, Scotch)
Lexical Meaning affective meaning: --showing the speaker's feelings and attitudes, using some interjections. Bias words include Purr words (appreciatory: shortened as apprec.)and Snarl words (derogatory:shortened as derog.) slender-→skinny,statesman→politician
Lexical Meaning • affective meaning: --showing the speaker’s feelings and attitudes, using some interjections. Bias words include Purr words (appreciatory: shortened as apprec.) and Snarl words (derogatory: shortened as derog.) slender→ skinny, statesman → politician
Lexical Meaning affective meaning: Jane is an angel of a girl. That fellow is an ass. Samuel Taylor Coleridge divides women past seventy into three classes: that dear old soul that old woman that old witch
Lexical Meaning • affective meaning: Jane is an angel of a girl. That fellow is an ass. Samuel Taylor Coleridge divides women past seventy into three classes: that dear old soul that old woman that old witch
