Semantics

Question 1

Semantics

Answer 1

The study of linguistic meaning, encompassing the meaning of words, phrases, and sentences

Question 2

Lexical Semantics

Answer 2

Deals with the meaning of individual words and other lexical expressions

Question 3

Compositional Semantics

Answer 3

Deals with the meaning of phrases and how those meanings are assembled from their component parts

Question 4

Lexical Ambiguity

Answer 4

Occurs when a word has more than one possible meaning. EX: fly (insect or action of flying)

Question 5

Structural Ambiguity

Answer 5

Occurs when a sentence or phrase has 2 or more meanings bc of the different ways words can be combined. e.g “ Flying kites can be dangerous.”

Question 6

Referential meaning

Answer 6

The literal use of a word, usually the dictionary meaning

Question 7

Associative (emotive) meaning

Answer 7

Deals with the feelings or reactions associated with words that may be found among some individuals or groups.
e.g. skydiving = might associate with fear, excitement, experience with certain people, etc.

Question 8

Semantic features

Answer 8

Similar to phonology, using +/- to describe basic elements of words such as +/- animate /-human /-female /-adult.
e.g. +animate for dog and -human for rock

Question 9

Semantic (Thematic) Roles

Answer 9

The function or role a word plays in a sentence

Question 10

Agent

Answer 10

the entity that PERFORMS the action
e.g. “John kicked the ball”
Agent - John

Question 11

Theme (Patient)

Answer 11

The entity involved in or affected BY the action

Question 12

instrument

Answer 12

the entity used to perform an action

Question 13

Experiencer

Answer 13

The entity having a feeling, perception or state
e.g. “Mary see the car”
Experiencer “Mary”

Question 14

Location

Answer 14

Where an entity is LOCATED

Question 15

Source

Answer 15

Where an entity moves from

Question 16

Goal

Answer 16

where an entity moves to
*usually “to” refers to the goal

Question 17

Hypernym

Answer 17

A broader category

Question 18

Hyponym

Answer 18

A more specific example of that category

Question 19

Co-hyponym

Answer 19

words under the same hypernym

Question 20

Prototype

Answer 20

A typical example that represents the larger category. It’s the first thing that comes to mind.

Question 21

Synonym

Answer 21

Words with overlapping meaning but are NOT identical

Question 22

Register

Answer 22

Changes in the words we use or way we speak depending on who we are talking to

Question 23

Antonym

Answer 23

2 words that are alike in most ways but contrast in one aspect of their meaning

Question 24

Complementary Antonym

Answer 24

you are either one or the other, never both at the same time

Question 25

Gradable Antonym

Answer 25

you CAN be both at the same time. These are words at the opposite ends of a continuous dimension (hot/cold; near/far; old/young)

Question 26

Reversive Antonym

Answer 26

When one word means the negation of the other. If you do the opposite, it creates the other one

Question 27

Homonym

Answer 27

General term for anything that has different meanings but are pronounced the same

Question 28

Homophones

Answer 28

A type of homonym that is a pair that is written differently, pronounced the same, and have non-connected meanings
e.g. to/two/too

Question 29

Polysemy

Answer 29

Terms that are pronounced the same, written the same, but meanings of the word is connected
ex. foot (foot of the bed, body part, mountain.) here it means the bottom of something

Question 30

Metonym

Answer 30

A figure of speech where something is referred to by the name of something closely associated with it.