英语专业词汇学课件8.semantic relations

Form and Meaning
Language is a system of symbols The relation between form and sense is arbitrary and conventional “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet” ---Shakespere: Romeo and Juliet
Synonymy
The Third Webster defines it as “ a word having the same meaning as another word: as one of two or more words of the same language and grammatical category having the same essential or generic meaning and differing only in connotation, application, or idiomatic use: one of two or more words having essentially identical definitions….”.
Lexical Meaning
Denotative meaning Connotative meaning Contextual meaning Stylistic meaning Affective meaning
Denotative Meaning
Chair: it is a piece of furniture for one person to sit on, having a back and, usually, four legs. Conceptual meaning: shared by all speakers of a given community “…involves the relationship between a linguistic unit ( especially a lexical item) and the non-linguistic entities to which it refers…” ---Crystal (1980)
Contextual Meaning
(1)Some of these countries are much warmer than others. (2) After many years abroad he wanted to return to his country. (3) The country is opposed to war.
Connotative Meaning
The emotional association which a word suggests in one’s mind; It is the supplementary value which is added to the purely denotative meaning of a word; The same word may not have the same connotation to the people of different countries. e.g. communist, capitalist, landlord,socialism
The double scale patterner Motherly Sharp World
Latin
cordial aid interior maternal acute universe
Relative Synonyms
in collocation pretty (girl, child, flower, garden, color, village, cottage) handsome (boy, man , car, table, overcoat, airliner, house) a flock of sheep, a herd of elephants, a shoal of fish, a swarm of bees; to sail a small boat, to navigate a liner; rancid butter (bacon), addled eggs (brains)
Word Meaning and Semantic Relations
What is “meaning”?
What is the meaning of “retrospection” ? (signify) I did not mean to hurt you. (intend) He never says what he means. She rarely means what she says. Life without faith has no meaning. (significance/ value)
Lexical Meaning
Lexical meaning is the meaning of an isolated word in a dictionary. This component of meaning is identical in all forms of the word. go,goes,went,gone,going
What is “meaning”?
What do you mean by the word “love” (intend to say) He means well but he’s rather clumsy. Fame and richness mean nothing to the true lovers. Dark clouds mean rain. ( a sign of ) It was John, I meant, not Harry.(speak of/ have in mind)
Contextual Meaning
(4) What does a farming country mean ? (land with a special nature) (5) We’re hoping to go for a day in the country if the weather’s fine tomorrow. (6) This is unknown country (a branch of learning) to me.
Synonyms
Complete synonyms: two words are totally synonymous only if they are fully identical in meaning and interchangeable in any context without the slightest alteration in connotative, affective and stylistic meanings scarlet fever--- scarletina word formation--- word building motherland--- fatherland mother tongue--- native language
Affective Meaning
Purr words, marked as apprec. (appreciatory) Snarl words, marked as derog. (derogatory)
slender skinny Statesman politician confidence complacency
Relative Synonyms
Relative synonyms:quasi-synonymous words,
differing from complete synonyms
in shade of meaning cf. finish, complete, close, conclude, end, terminate, finalize anger, rage, fury, indignation, wrath in stylistic meaning cf. to die, to pass away, to kick the bucket to chide, to berate, to scold, to blame, to carpet, to tell off, to bawl out
Meaning Relations
Synonymy Antonymy Hyponymy Polysemy Homonymy
Synonymy
derived from Greek synomymon, of like meaning or like name Synonyms are traditionally defined as words differing in sound form but identical or similar in meaning.
Types of Word Meaning
Grammatical meaning Lexical meaning
Grammatical Meaning
Consists of word-class and inflectional paradigm Word class:the part of speech of the word Inflectional paradigm: plurality, tense markers, case markers…
Stylistic Meaning
(1) oratorical or frozen style for written report or in dignified public speech prepared beforehand on a solemn occasion. (2) formal style (3) consultative style for polite and fairly neutral way of communication (4) casual style for conversation among friends or in personal letters when the language is informal, familiar, relaxed, warm and friendly. (5) intimate style ------ Martin Joos(1967)
Relative Synonyms
in British and American usage sick and ill, sidewalk and pavement, gas and petrol, movie and film, elevator and lift, can and tin, mail and post, railroad and railway, call box and telephone booth, taxi rank and cab stand, muffler and silencer, sedan and saloon, ranger and commando
Relative Synonyms
in emotive meaning
Negro, nigger, black; thrifty, miserly, niggardly, frugal; bravery, foolhardiness; firm, pigheaded;
in range of use: about and on