Semantics
SEMANTICS
-The study of semantics includes the study of how meaning is constructed, interpreted, clarified, obscured, illustrated, simplified, negotiated, contradicted and paraphrased.
AREAS OF SEMANTIC THEORY
* Semantic fields * Metaphor * Homonymy * Homophony * Homographs * Polysemy * Hyponymy * Hypernymy * Antonymy * Synonymy
A. SEMANTIC FIELD * Set of lexemes which cover a certain conceptual domain and which bear certain specifiable relations to one another. (Adrienne Lehrer, 1985) * Denotes a segment of reality symbolized by a set of related words. Share a common semantic property. (Brinton, 2000) * Traditionally, semantic fields have been used for comparing the lexical structure of different languages and different states of the same language. (Andersen, 1990)
EXAMPLE * Cat, feline, moggy, puss, kitten, tom, queen, miaow * Water, cove, harbor, bay
B. ANTONYMY * Sense relation * (Greek) opposed name * Incompatibles but not complementaries( Cruse, 2004)
1. GRADABLE (COMPARATIVE CAN BE FORMED)
3 TYPES
(basis of relationship between the comparative and the positive forms of the relevant predicates) a. Polar antonymy: the comparative of neither term entails the corresponding positive form
Long vs. short
X is longer than y does not entail x is long, x is shorter than y does not entail x is short b. Equipollent antonymy: the comparative of neither term entails the corresponding positive form.
Hot vs. cold
X is hotter than y entails x is hotter than y entails x is hot, x is colder than y entails x is cold
c. Overlapping antonymy: the comparative of one or both terms entails the corresponding positive form.
Good vs. bad
X is better than y does not entail x is good, but x is worse than y entails x is bad
2. COMPLEMENTARY ANTONYMS (CLEAR EITHER OR SITUATIONS) * open-close * dead-alive * on-off
3. CONVERSE/RELATIONAL
-The study of semantics includes the study of how meaning is constructed, interpreted, clarified, obscured, illustrated, simplified, negotiated, contradicted and paraphrased.
AREAS OF SEMANTIC THEORY
* Semantic fields * Metaphor * Homonymy * Homophony * Homographs * Polysemy * Hyponymy * Hypernymy * Antonymy * Synonymy
A. SEMANTIC FIELD * Set of lexemes which cover a certain conceptual domain and which bear certain specifiable relations to one another. (Adrienne Lehrer, 1985) * Denotes a segment of reality symbolized by a set of related words. Share a common semantic property. (Brinton, 2000) * Traditionally, semantic fields have been used for comparing the lexical structure of different languages and different states of the same language. (Andersen, 1990)
EXAMPLE * Cat, feline, moggy, puss, kitten, tom, queen, miaow * Water, cove, harbor, bay
B. ANTONYMY * Sense relation * (Greek) opposed name * Incompatibles but not complementaries( Cruse, 2004)
1. GRADABLE (COMPARATIVE CAN BE FORMED)
3 TYPES
(basis of relationship between the comparative and the positive forms of the relevant predicates) a. Polar antonymy: the comparative of neither term entails the corresponding positive form
Long vs. short
X is longer than y does not entail x is long, x is shorter than y does not entail x is short b. Equipollent antonymy: the comparative of neither term entails the corresponding positive form.
Hot vs. cold
X is hotter than y entails x is hotter than y entails x is hot, x is colder than y entails x is cold
c. Overlapping antonymy: the comparative of one or both terms entails the corresponding positive form.
Good vs. bad
X is better than y does not entail x is good, but x is worse than y entails x is bad
2. COMPLEMENTARY ANTONYMS (CLEAR EITHER OR SITUATIONS) * open-close * dead-alive * on-off
3. CONVERSE/RELATIONAL
References: Crystal, D. (1987) The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language, pp. 100 - 107; Cambridge; ISBN 0-521-42443-7 Crystal, D. (1995) The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, pp. 138, 156 - 170; Cambridge; ISBN 0-521-59655-6 Potter, S. (1950) Our Language, pp. 104 - 116; Penguin; ISBN 0-14-02-0227-7 Aitchison, J. (1997) The Language Web, pp. 61 - 78; Cambridge; ISBN 0-521-57475-7