Unit 3: Chap. 2 Riemer's Flashcards
(25 cards)
Cognitive definition
A type of definition which brings about an understanding of the meaning
of a word (2.3.1).
Collocation
Regular word combinations (11.3); the immediate context of words and
morphemes in which a word occurs (2.2.4)
Compound
Two or more lexemes conjoined into a single conventionalized semantic unit, such as lunchbox (2.2.1).
Contextual modulation
The way in which the meaning of a lexeme varies slightly depending on
the other lexemes with which it co-occurs (2.2.4).
Definiendum (plural: definienda)
The object language word whose meaning is being or has been defined (2.3.3)
Definiens (plural: definientia or definientes)
The metalanguage word(s) proposed as an
expression’s definition (2.3.3).
Definition by context
Defining a word by describing the context in which its referent typically
occurs (e.g. defining glass with ‘what you usually drink water out of’) (2.3.4).
Definition by genus and differentia (GD definition)
Defining a word by specifying the broader class (the genus) to which the definiendum belongs, and then showing the distinguishing feature of the definiendum (the differentia) which distinguishes it from the other members of this broader class (2.3.5)
Definition by typical exemplar
Defining a word by specifying a typical example (e.g. specifying
‘robin’ for bird) (2.3.4).
Extensional definition
A definition which precisely identifies the denotation of the definiendum
(2.3.1).
Mental lexicon
The stock of words and associated meanings that are stored in long-term
memory (2.1.1).
Morpheme
: The minimal meaning-bearing unit (2.2.1)
Nominal definition
A description of the meaning of a word. Cf. real definition (2.3.1
Phonological word:
A unit which bears only a single primary stress
Phrasal verb
A combination, functioning as a single unit, of one ‘full’ verb and one or more
particles, often with an idiomatic meaning. Make up (‘invent’) is a phrasal verb (2.2.1)
Real definition
A summation of the essence or inherent nature of a thing. Cf. nominal definition
Reductive paraphrase
: Form of definition in which the meaning of an expression is exhaustively
described through paraphrase into a finite set of semantic primitives (2.5).
Register
A particular style of language used for a certain social function or situation (2.4)
Semantic primitives
Hypothesized fundamental units of meaning which cannot be broken
down into anything conceptually simpler (2.5)
Semasiological approach to meaning (or word-based approach)
starts with a language’s
individual lexemes and tries to specify the meaning of each one. For example, it would start with
a list of verbs like “scare, frigthen, terrify, etc” and specify a slightly different meaning for each
one. It functions like a dictionary (ie. it’s a list of words and one accesses meanings through
words
Onomasiological approach to meaning
starts with a particular meaning and list the various
forms available in the language for its expression. For example, it would start with a general
concept FRIGHTEN and list all of these verbs as its possible realizations. It functions like a thesaurus (ie. it’s a list of concepts giving access to the different words through which the
concept could be expressed).
Compositionality
: lists the meanings of “cut, foot, grass, cake, etc” and sees the specific
meanings of the collocations “cut one’s foot, cut the grass, etc” as derived compositionally from
the meanings of the parts. This might work in one of two ways:
a. The general meaning hypothesis: one meaning is valid for everything. One definition has
to fit with all the words.
b. The multiple meaning hypothesis: there are as many definitions as words/collocations
Non-compositionality
every single collocation has a different meaning.
Definition by ostension
: by pointing out the objects which they denote. Related to the way in which
children acquire language.
