540 likes | 1.14k Views
LINGUISTICS . SEMANTICS. OUTLINE. Background knowledge on Semantics Sense Reference Truth. Background. Lexical Decomposition …Characterizing the sense of words… ///Semantic Features/// Lake Sea River [-FLOWING] [-FLOWING] [+FLOWING] [-SALINE] [+SALINE] [-SALINE]
E N D
LINGUISTICS SEMANTICS
OUTLINE • Background knowledge on Semantics • Sense • Reference • Truth
Background Lexical Decomposition …Characterizing the sense of words… ///Semantic Features/// Lake Sea River [-FLOWING] [-FLOWING] [+FLOWING] [-SALINE] [+SALINE] [-SALINE] [+-LARGE] [+-LARGE] [+-LARGE]
Lexical Decomposition Semantic Features:
Lexical Decomposition Semantic Features:
Reference • Study of what objects are referred to by linguistic expressions. “Washington , DC, is the capital of the U.S.” the same entity
Truth Conditional Semantics If “Fred is 80 years old” then “Fred is over 50 years old” necessarily TRUE
Truth Conditional Semantics “Doğan Yüksel is vicedean.” Then “Doğan Yüksel is an Assist.Prof.Dr.” Necessarily TRUE
SENSE Speaker-sense: Speaker`s intention Linguistic-sense: Literal meaning
SENSE • “Here comes Queen Elizabeth” Speaker-sense With an intention of SARCASM
SENSE • “Here comes Queen Elizabeth” Linguistic-sense NO intentions Literal Meaning
Lexical Ambiguity • More than one sense an insect “Waldo saw a fly” a zipper a ball Lexically vague / ambiguous..
Lexical Ambiguity • More than one sense “American history teacher” Vague? Lexically ? or Syntactically?
Structural Ambiguity “[[American history] teacher]” A teacher of American History “[American [history teacher]]” A history teacher who is American
Synonymy • Different Words • Same Meaning • Same Sense conceal hide stubborn obstinate
Near Synonym “My big sister” “My large sister” Do not have the same meaning
Register • Using the language in a level of formality • “A guy walks into a bar” ( telling a joke) • “A man walked into the bar” (giving courtroom testimony)
Overlap Words overlapping in meaning. Intersection of meaning. • Not all sisters are nieces or not all nieces are sisters. • All sows are pigs but not all pigs are sows.
Antonymy • Binary Antonyms • Gradable Antonyms • Converse Antonyms
Gradable antonyms • A gradable antonym is one of a pair of words with opposite meanings where the two meanings lie on a continuous spectrum. • Temperature is such a continuous spectrum so hot and cold, two meanings on opposite ends of the spectrum, are gradable antonyms. • Other examples include: heavy, light; fat, skinny; dark light; young, old; early, late; empty, full; dull, interesting.
Complementary antonyms • A complementary antonym is one of a pair of words with opposite meanings, where the two meanings do not lie on a continuous spectrum. • There is no continuous spectrum between push and pull but they are opposite in meaning and are therefore complementary antonyms. • Other examples include: dead, alive; off, on; day, night; exit, entrance; exhale, inhale; occupied, vacant; identical, different.
Relational antonyms • A relational antonym is one of a pair of words with opposite meanings, where opposite makes sense only in the context of the relationship between the two meanings. • There is no lexical opposite of teacher, but teacher and pupil are opposite within the context of their relationship. This makes them relational antonyms. • Other examples include: husband, wife; doctor, patient; predator, prey; teach, learn; servant, master; come, go; parent, child.
Reference • Speaker-reference • Linguistic-reference • Referent • Extension • Prototype • Stereotype
Referent • The entity identified / referred… “I saw Picasso in Sabancı Museum” (referring the paintings) “ EitherTom, Dick or Harry can be the leader” • Unknown referent • Anyone can be referent
Extension • All potential referents for a referring expression. • Might be thought as a species / kind: • “Bird” for all birds • “Car” for all cars
Prototype • A typical member of an extension( a species/brand) • Bird Robin • Ford Fiesta • Opel Corsa • Extension Prototype
Stereotype • List of characteristics describing a prototype… • Stereotype of Bird • Has two legs • Two wings • Has feathers…etc.
Coreference • Two linguistic expression that refer to same real world entity. • Jay Leno is the host of the Tonight Show. (same) • Jay Leno and the host of the Tonight Show. (different)
Anaphora • Jasmineis one of the top models in France, she is beautiful… • Jasmine She • Tattoos are dangerous for skin health…but who cares? (no anaphora)
Truth analytic sentences Individual sentences contradictory sentences synthetic sentences entailment Between sentences presupposition
Analytic Sentences Necessarily true by virtue of words in it “A bachelor is someone who is not married” ( we don`t have to check it, cause its true) True by definition Also referred as “Linguistic Truths”
Contradictory Sentences • Opposite of analytical sentences • Not true and necessarily false… • “A bachelor is a married man” (all contradictory) • “A blue gas is colorless” • “A square has five equal sides” Also referred as “Linguistic Falsities”
Synthetic Sentences • May be true or false • “My next door neighbor, Bud Brown, is married” • (No evidence) • Can`t judge its truth or falsity • Also referred as “Empirical Truths or Falsities”
Entailment • A proposition that follows necessarily from another sentence. • Martinaaced chemistry • Martina passed chemistry • (paraphrase)
Entailment • A proposition that follows necessarily from another sentence. • Martinadidn`t pass chemistry • Martina didn`t ace chemistry • (paraphrase)
Presupposition • “Martina aced chemistry” • (Martina took chemistry) • CONSTANCY UNDER NEGATION • “Martina didn`t ace chemistry” • (she still took chemistry, and also she might have passed)
Entailment vs. Presupposition Martina aced chemistry Martina took chemistry PRESUPPOSE ENTAILS Martina passed chemistry
SERKAN GÜRKAN KOCAELİ UNIVERSITY Lecturer serkan.gurkan@kocaeli.edu.tr