Begleitseminar Student Reports: Semantics

Based on: Fromkin & Rodman (1993): Chapter 4

Slides used for the reports have been sent to the lecturer by email

Semantics = meaning of language

Example:

The assassin was stopped before he got to Mr. Thwacklehurst.
          |
1.   person -> human
          |
  not animal

2. tried to kill s.o. -> murderer

"female":
tigress	actress	distinguished by the	maiden
hen	debutante	semantic property	widow
mare	girl	"human"	woman

{baby, child} -> "young" "human"
bachelor -> "male" "adult"
father -> "male" "adult" "parent"

Semantic properties in words of different categories:

"female":

• noun: mother
• verb: breast feed
• adjective: pregnant

redundancy rules:

A word that is [ + human] is automatically [ + animate]

A word that is [ + human] is [ - abstract]

A word that is [ + slow] is [ - fast]

Knowing a language also permits combining sentences together to express complex thoughts and ideas. These larger linguistic units are called discourse.

Discourse semantics is concerned with the meaning relations among sentences.

Pronouns

- It seems that the man loves the woman. Many people think he loves her.

The pronoun 'her' is bound. It is bound to that Noun Phrase antecedent

(´the woman´ refers to ´her´).

- Whenever I see you, I think of her.

The pronoun 'her' is free or unbound.

Much discourse is 'telegraphic' nature.

- My uncle has, too.

According to the rules of syntax, this sentence is unacceptable, but in the following

discourse it is okay.

- First speaker : My aunt has got a big dog.

Second speaker: My uncle has, too.

Dispite missing gaps, people still understand people.

Maxims of Conversation

Well structured discourse follows certain rules and maxims of conversation, that makes the discourse coherent.

- First speaker : What do you read?

Second speaker: Words, words, words.

- First speaker : What do you read?

Second speaker: Yesterday I read the newspaper. Today I am reading the book 'An

Introduction to Language'. Tomorrow I intend to start the book 'Emma'.

You violate maxims of conversation

- if you provide too little information.

- if you provide more information than required.

Pragmatics

is called the general study of how context influences the interpretation of meaning.

• John believes he is a genius.

It is unclear in the absence of context whether ´he´ refers to ´John´ (bound pronoun) or

whether ´he´ refers to another person (free pronoun).

Pragmatics includes

You can do things with speech

by using performative verbs.

- I promise to improve. -----> make promise performative

- I warn you that there is a big dog in the garden. -----> issue warning sentences

(Informal test: - I hereby promise to improve. - I hereby warn you that .....)

Illocutionary force: The purpose of a speech act, such as a warning, a promise, a bet, etc. (e.g.,

the illocutionary force of ´I resign!´, is the act of resignation.).

Speakers assume sth to be true beforehand. They often make assumptions.

- The police ordered the minors to stop drinking.

Presuppositon: The minors were drinking.

- John doesn't write poems anymore.

Presupposition: John once wrote poetry.

are words or expressions whose reference relies entirely on context.

person deixis

- my mine you your yours we ours us -

are always deictic, they are free pronouns.

- this person that man these women -

are demonstrative articles.

The reference of demonstrative articles is entirely dependent on context.

time deixis

- now this time then tomorrow -

In order to understand what specific times such expressions refer to, we need to know when it was said.

place deixis

- here that place this city -

Place deixis require contextual information about the place of the utterance.