Lecture 5a. Lexical meaning

1. Lecture 5a. Lexical meaning 1. Sense and reference 2. Major sense relations 2.1. Synonymy 2.2. Polysemy 2.3. Homonymy 2.4. Hyponymy 2.5. Antonymy

2. 1. Sense and reference Sense and reference are two terms often encountered in the study of word meaning. They are two related but different aspect of meaning.

3. What is sense? Sense is concerned with the inherent meaning of a linguistic form, the collection of all its features; It is abstract and de-contextualized. E.g., the word dog can be described in the dictionary as �a domesticated carnivorous mammal that typically has a long snout, an acute sense of smell, and a barking voice�.

4. What is reference? Reference means what a linguistic form refers to in the real, physical world; It deals with the relationship between the linguistic element and the non-linguistic world of experience. If we say �The dog is barking�, we must be talking about a certain dog existent in the situation. The word dog here refers to a dog known to both the speaker and the hearer.

5. 2. Major sense relations2.1. Synonymy Synonymy refers to the sameness or close similarity of meaning. Words that are close to meaning are called synonyms. English borrowed a lot of words from other languages. That�s why we find in English pairs of words bearing the same meaning.

6. Types of synonyms Dialectal synonyms � synonyms used in different regional dialects Stylistic synonyms � synonyms differing in style Synonyms that differ in their emotive and evaluative meaning Collocational synonyms Semantically different synonyms

7. Dialectal synonyms Dialectal synonyms � synonyms used in different regional dialects. These are words with more or less the same meaning used in different regional dialects. British English and American English are the two major geographical varieties of the English language.

8. Varieties of English British English Autumn Lift Luggage Lorry Petrol Flat Windscreen Torch American English Fall Elevator Baggage Truck Gasoline Apartment Windshield Flashlight

9. Stylistic synonyms Stylistic synonyms � synonyms differing in style. Words having the same meaning may differ in style, or degree of formality. Some words tend to be more formal, others casual, and still others neutral in style. Compare: Old man, daddy, dad, father, male parent Start, begin, commence Kid, child, offspring

10. Synonyms that differ in their emotive or evaluative meaning There are words that bear the same meaning but express different emotions of the user, indicating the attitude of the user toward he is using about.

11. Collaborator vs accomplice Collaborator and accomplice are synonymous as they share the meaning of �a person who helps the other�, but: Collaborator helps another in doing something good, while Accomplice helps another in the criminal act.

12. Collocational synonyms Some synonyms differ in their collocation, i.e. in the words they go together with. Accuse, charge, rebuke are followed by different prepositions: accuse of, charge with, rebuke for

13. Semantically different synonyms These are synonyms that differ slightly in what they mean. Compare: amaze � suggests confusion and bewilderment astound suggest difficulty in believing

14. 2.2.Polysemy Polysemy happens when one and the same word may have more than one meaning. Historically speaking, polysemy can be understood as the growth and development of or change in the meaning of words.

15. The word table has 7 meanings: 1) a piece of furniture 2) all the people seated at a table 3) the food that is put on the table 4) a thin flat piece of stone, metal, wood, etc. 5) orderly arrangements of facts, figures, etc. 6) part of a machine tool on which the work is put to be operated on 7) a level area, a plateau

16. 2.3. Homonymy Homonymy refers to the phenomenon that words having different meanings have the same form, i.e. different words are identical in sound or spelling, or in both.

17. Types of Homonymy Homophones � when two words are identical in sound. Homographs � when two words are identical in spelling. Complete homonyms � when two words are identical in both sound and spelling.

18. Examples: Homophones: rain/reign night/knight piece/peace Homographs: bow v./bow n. tear v./tear. n. lead v./lead n. Complete homonyms: fast adj./fast v. scale n./scale v.

19. Question about homonymy When two forms are identical both in sound and spelling how can we tell whether they are two meanings of the same polysemic word, or two complete homonyms?

20. Probable answer We can depend on etymology of the words. A polysemic word is the result of evolution of the primary meaning of the word. Complete homonyms are often brought into being by coincidence. Compare: ball

21. The meaning of word �ball�

22. 2.4. Hyponymy Hyponymy refers to the sense relation between a more general, more inclusive word and a more specific word. The word which is more general in meaning is called hyperonym. The more specific words are called its hyponyms.

23. Examples: Hyperonym: flower Hyponyms: rose, tulip, carnation Hyperonym: animal Hyponyms: dog, cat, lion, elephant

24. 2.4. antonymy The term antonymy is used for oppositeness of meaning. Words that are opposite in meaning are antonyms.

25. Types of antonyms: Gradable antonyms Complementary antonyms Relational opposites

26. Gradable antonyms Some antonyms are gradable because there are often intermediate forms between the two members of a pair. F/e/ old and young are immediately recognized as antonyms, between which there exist intermediate forms representing differing degrees of being old or young, such as middle-aged, mature, elderly.

27. Complementary antonyms A pair of complementary antonyms is characterized by the feature that the denial of one member of a pair implies the assertion of the other. E.g. Either alive or dead, either male or female

28. Relational opposites Pairs of words that exhibit the reversal of a relationship between the two items are called relational opposites. E.g. teacher � pupil, husband � wife, doctor - patient