Semantics

Question 1

Referent

Answer 1

The thing in the world - The apple
(The thing you point to)

Question 2

Language

Answer 2

the words we use to convey the idea of meaning

Question 3

Compositionality

Answer 3

The meaning of an expression is the combination of the meanings of its parts

Question 4

Sense

Answer 4

Symbol - the idea of it

Question 5

Denotation

Answer 5

Something that exists in the world, and is of literal meaning.
(The king, can refer to an actual king, like Karl Gustaf)

Question 6

Connotation

Answer 6

The part of meaning that expresses a speaker’s attitudes
(Child & Brat can be used in the same context, but have their own inherent meaning- for brat shows a negative form of child)

Question 7

Gradeability
Gradeable / Non-gradeable

Answer 7

Gradeability between atonmys
Big & Small -> Bigger & Smaller

open & shut (non-gradeable)
wide & narrow (

Question 8

Antonym

Answer 8

The opposit of a word
(Big -> Small)
Gradeability

Question 9

Hyponymy & Hypernonomy

Answer 9

Hypo-nymy = A characteristic or group which words / objects has a tie to; (An Apple is a “hyponym” of Fruit)

Hypernonomy = The inverse term for “hyponymy”.
(Fruit is a Hyper-nym of “apple”)

Question 10

Taxonymy

Answer 10

Hyponomy in more detail / the hierarchy of terminology, involving multiple levels of classification.

(Swamp white oak -> A type of White oak -> a type of Oak -> a type of Tree -> a type of Plant)

Question 11

Meronomy & Holonym

Answer 11

Mero-nomy = Relation (approximate meaning) / “part of a whole”
(Arm is a mero-nym of body / leaf of tree)

Holo-nym = the inverse
(Body is a holo-nym of arm)

Question 12

Synonymy

Answer 12

Synonyms = words whose meaning / senses are roughly equivalent

Question 13

Monosemy

Answer 13

Mono-semy = Words with only one meaning. Most are technical terms, such as “appendectomy”

Question 14

Polysemy

Answer 14

Poly-semy = When the same word can have distinct, but related senses

(I saw a deer yesterday
I had some deer for lunch)

Question 15

Homonym

Answer 15

Homo-nym = Words with unrelated meaning; same spelling / sound, but different meaning.

(The word “Bank” can both refer to:
The Bank, where one puts their money.
The river Bank, or place where the river meets the land.)

Question 16

The Semantic Triangle

Answer 16

Reference, sense, symbol

Question 17

What is the general aim of providing a [Cognitive Definition] of a word?

Answer 17

aims at providing an understanding of the concept and - enabling the word to be used correctly

Question 18

Definition by Ostension

Answer 18

by pointing to things in the world that the word stands for

Question 19

Definition by Context or Typical Examplar

Answer 19

Tree = ‘pine, oak, ash, beech, maple, etc.’
(examples of trees)
(often words like “such as”, “example”)

Question 20

Genus and Differentia

Answer 20

Stretch limousine = “a car that is longer than standard cars and driven by a professional driver”

Question 21

What is the general aim of providing an extensional definition of a word?

Answer 21

Specifying the concept so that there is no ambiguity about the word’s denotation. E.g. defining salt as ‘NaCl’

Question 22

defintion by Extension

Answer 22

defining salt as ‘NaCl’ (making it super specific)