Lecture 3

1. Lecture 3 What is meaning? Denotation and connotation

2. Denotation and connotation • Definition: • The denotation of a word is the core, central or referential meaning of the word found in a dictionary. • In English, a content word may have its denotation described in terms of a set of semantic features that serve to identify the particular concept associated with the word.

3. Denotation and connotation • Definition: • The connotation of a word is the additional meaning that the word has beyond its denotative meaning. • It shows people’s emotions and/or attitudes towards what the word refers to.

4. Denotation and connotation • Examples: • Ex1. Child is denotatively described as [+human], [−mature] and [±male]. • Under a certain circumstance, child may positively be connoted as [+affectionate] or [+innocent]. • Under another circumstance, child may negatively be connoted as [+noisy] or [+irritating].

5. Denotation and connotation • Examples: • Ex2. Woman is denotatively described as [+human], [+mature] and [+female]. • Under a certain circumstance, woman may positively be connoted as [+devoted] or [+patient]. • Under another circumstance, woman may negatively be connoted as [+wicked] or [+talkative].

6. Denotation and connotation • The denotation of a word can easily be found in a dictionary while its connotation(s) may probably depend on such factors as • the culture in which the word is used; • the language user’s family and/or educational background; • the language user’s social and/or political class; • the language user’s speech community and/or ethnic group; etc. In brief, these factors are by virtue of personal and cultural associations.

7. Distinction between denotation and connotation • Consider the following table and identify denotation and connotation via their main features. • Bachelor (unmarried man) - still single after the usual age for marrying - decided by himself to stay single - enjoying freedom, life, etc. - ready for his impending marriage

8. Distinction between denotation and connotation • Consider the following table and identify denotation and connotation via their main features. • Spinster (unmarried woman) - still single after the usual age for marrying - not decided by herself to stay single - left in an unfavourable state - a symbol for some failure in life

9. Distinction between denotation and connotation • Ex1. The word fox almost always has a negative connotation inEnglish when it is associated with any person who is cunning or deceitful. • Ex2. Some English words usually have positive connotations (+); others usually have neutral connotations (∅); still others usually have negative connotations (−): - mother/mom ( ),woman ( ),witch ( ); - father/dad ( ),man ( ),the old man ( ); - slender ( ),thin ( ),skinny ( ); - plump ( ),overweight ( ),fat ( ).

10. Distinction between denotation and connotation • Ex1. The word fox almost always has a negative connotation inEnglish when it is associated with any person who is cunning or deceitful. • Ex2. Some English words usually have positive connotations (+); others usually have neutral connotations (∅); still others usually have negative connotations (−): - mother/mom (+), woman (∅), witch (−); - father/dad ( ),man ( ),the old man ( ); - slender ( ),thin ( ),skinny ( ); - plump ( ),overweight ( ),fat ( ).

11. Distinction between denotation and connotation • Ex1. The word fox almost always has a negative connotation inEnglish when it is associated with any person who is cunning or deceitful. • Ex2. Some English words usually have positive connotations (+); others usually have neutral connotations (∅); still others usually have negative connotations (−): - mother/mom (+), woman (∅), witch (−); - father/dad (+), man (∅), the old man (−); - slender ( ), thin ( ), skinny ( ); - plump ( ), overweight ( ), fat ( ).

12. Distinction between denotation and connotation • Ex1. The word fox almost always has a negative connotation inEnglish when it is associated with any person who is cunning or deceitful. • Ex2. Some English words usually have positive connotations (+); others usually have neutral connotations (∅); still others usually have negative connotations (−): - mother/mom (+), woman (∅), witch (−); - father/dad (+), man (∅), the old man (−); - slender (+), thin (∅), skinny (−); - plump ( ), overweight ( ), fat ( ).

13. Distinction between denotation and connotation • Ex1. The word fox almost always has a negative connotation inEnglish when it is associated with any person who is cunning or deceitful. • Ex2. Some English words usually have positive connotations (+); others usually have neutral connotations (∅); still others usually have negative connotations (−): - mother/mom (+), woman (∅), witch (−); - father/dad (+), man (∅), the old man (−); - slender (+), thin (∅), skinny (−); - plump (+), overweight (∅), fat (−).

14. Distinction between denotation and connotation • Ex3. Synonyms, words that have the same basic meaning, donot always have the same emotional meaning. • For example, the words stingy and frugal both mean ‘careful with money.’ However, to call a person stingy is an insult, while the word frugal has a much more positive connotation. • Similarly, a person wants to be slender but not skinny, and aggressive but not pushy. Therefore, you should becareful in choosing words because many so-calledsynonyms are not really synonyms at all.

15. Multiple senses of lexical items • Primary meaning vs. secondary meaning • The first and foremost distinction made in multiple senses of a word is between its primary and secondary meanings. • The primary meaning of a word (or, to be more precise, a lexical item) is the first meaning or usage that the word will suggest to most people when it is said in isolation. • The primary meaning of the English noun wing, for instance, is ‘either of the pair of feathered limbs that a bird uses to fly.’

16. Multiple senses of lexical items • Secondary meanings of a word are the meanings besides its primary meaning. They are said to be not central but peripheral. • In addition, secondary meanings of a word are context-bound whereas its primary meaning is not. In In He usually plays on the wing, for example, wing means ‘side part of the playing area in football, hockey, etc.’ Such a secondary meaning is derived from the context denoted by the verb plays.

17. Connotation and Denotation • Exercise 7: Identify all the possible connotations associated with the wordEid.

18. Connotation and Denotation • Exercise 7: Identify all the possible connotations associated with the wordEid. • The word Eid could call up “images of family gatherings, candies, presents, etc.”; “these associations may be specific for a particular culture or group of people; they may even be individual. [Asher and Simpson, 1994: 2155].

19. Thank you