Semantics Flashcards
What is semantics?
Study of meaning communicated through language concerned with the meaning of lexical items but also with linguistic forms on lower or higher language levels
What is meaning?
Linguistically encoded idea -> transferred from the mind of the speaker/writer to the mind of the listener/reader.
Denotative meaning
Meaning given by the literal use of lexical items
The denotative meaning of a word is its main meaning, not including the feelings and ideas that people may connect with that word.
Connotative meaning
Expression that has non-literal character resulting from the context
e.g. “head” in head of state
Expressive meaning
Type of connotative meaning describing a speaker’s emotions or state of mood
Social meaning
Used to establish and maintain social roles and social relations.
e.g. The ritualized utterances: greetings, apologies…
Grammatical meaning
grammatical words whose function is to organize syntactically other lexical words
e.g.: and, to, for, a, the…
Pragmatic meaning
What do I mean if I say something – a message to the interlocutor
Speech Act theory
When we speak we do not just talk about s.t. but also carry out an act
1. Locutionary
2. Illocutionary
3. Perlocutionary
Locutionary act
Simple act of saying something
Illocutionary act
Speaker expresses his desires, issues command or declares something he carries out.
e.g. “I pronounce you man and wife” (act of pronouncing), “I admit of stealing that money” (act of admitting)
Perlocutionary act
Causes effect on the listener.
e.g. “There’s a spider on your shoulder” -> carries emotion, causes panic
Indirect illocutions
For example, a question that means something completely different.
e.g. “Have you got money?” -> I want you to give me money, I wish you had money, etc.
Concept
An abstract idea
