Yoshinta Debbi A.(13.1.01.08.0012)

Anilia Nur Laili T.U (13.1.01.08.0022)Dimas Wahyu A.S (13.1.01.08.0025)

3-A

SemanticsThe study of meaning

• Semantics is the study of meaning. Lyons (1977).• Semantics is the study of meaning in language. Hurford &

Heasley (1983).• Semantics is the study of meaning communicated through

language. Saeed (1997).• Semantics is the part of linguistics that is concerned with

meaning. Löbner (2002).• Linguistic semantics is the study of literal,

decontextualized, grammatical meaning. Frawley (1992).• Linguistic semantics is the study of how languages

organize and express meanings. Kreidler (1998).

Some Definitions of Semantics

The Systematic Study of Meaning

1. It’s a good job he doesn’t know what ‘malaka’ means. Answer: The interpretation of a word in a language

via its equivalent in a known language.

2. I’m sure she didn’t mean to pour olive oil in your hair. Answer: intending a particular action or result.

3. Mean it? I even say it. Answer: The speaker has said something that doesn’t

correspond with what he really thinks.

How could you describe each of these of the word 'mean'?

What do we understand by “meaning”? What is that “meaning” that is organized and expressed by languages?

We can find pleasure in:•Jokes•Commercials

Sarah goes to school, and the teacher says, "Today we are going to learn multi-syllable words, class. Does anybody have an example of a multi-syllable word?" Sarah waves her hand, "Me, Mr Rogers, me, me!" Mr Rogers says, "All right, Sarah, what is your multi-syllable word?" Sarah says, “loveable." Miss Rogers smiles and says, "Wow, Sarah, thankyou." Sarah says, "No, Mr Rogers, you're thinking that I adore you."

School Joke

Commercial Ad

Three disciplines are concerned with the systematic study of ‘meaning’ in itself

• for example, English words like paint and happy and affixes like the -er of painter and the un- of unhappy. It is concerned with describing how such elements go together to express more complex meanings—in phrases like the unhappy painter and sentences like the painter is unhappy and telling how these are related to each other.

The Nature of Language

Human language differs from these animal communication systems in two crucial ways (Stimulus-free and Creative). (Hockett 1957:574–85; Bickerton 1990: 10–16).

The Nature of Language

Human Language is Stimulus-Free

Animals can communicate only in response. Example: Bees, when they have located a source of nectar in some group of plants, fly back to their hive and report this discovery by doing a dance that indicates the approximate direction and distance to the site some particular stimulus.

Non-human communication takes place on the spot, and is concerned with what is immediately present. No animal can tell another one about past experiences.

Humans alone are able to talk about wide range of things which come from accumulated knowledge, memory and imagination.

Human Language is Creative

Animal can only produce a message that could be understood by the species itself.

Human are always producing new utterances which others understand; we comprehend new sentences which others have produced.

Language And the Individual

1 year → imitate parents and environment (bed, doll, baby)3 years → produce two word utterance (daddy bye, mama shoes)4-5 years → speak more and express feelings.

Children learn language from:→ Parents→ Community→ Society

Language And The Individual

When we learned what was spoken to us around four and six years we do not remember learning to understand.

Because the knowledge that we got is unconscious or implicit not conscious or explicit.

"We know the language but we do not fully know what we know."

So we need Language Knowledge.

1. What is the knowledge that a speaker of a language has about it?

2. What knowledge does one have that makes one capable of using vocabulary, productively and

receptively?

Vocabulary and the way to use it.

Knowing how to combine the vocabulary utterances that will carry meanings to others.

Phonology, Syntax, Morphology, Semantics

1. Anomaly2. Paraphrases3. Synonyms4. Antonyms5. Contradictory6. Semantic feature7. Ambiguous8. Adjacency pair9. Entailment10. Presuppositions

Demonstrating Semantic Knowledge

Speakers know in general way whether something is or is not meaningful in their language.

Examples: a. The picture laughed.b. Picture a Henry.

1. Anomaly

Speakers of a language generally agree when two sentences have essentially the same meaning.

Examples:a. Rebecca got home before Robert.b. Robert arrived at home after Rebecca.

2. Paraphrases

Speakers generally agree when two words have essentially the same meaning.

Examples:a. Where did you purchase these tools?

b. At the end of the street we saw two enormous statues.

3. Synonyms

use, buy, release, modify, take

wide, smooth, nice, huge, original

» Where did you buy these tools?

» At the end of the street we saw two huge statues.

Speakers generally agree when two words have opposite meanings in given context.

Examples:a. Betty cut a thick slice of cake.

b. The train departs at 7:15.

4. Antonyms

bright, big, soft, thin, wet

arrives, leaves, waits, turns, goes

» The train arrives at 7:15.

» Betty cut a thin slice of cake.

Speakers recognize when the meaning of sentence contradict with the factual data.

Examples:a. The boy is female.b. Cat is vegetable.c. My father was pregnant.

5. Contradictory

It is a written method which can be used to express the existence or non-existence by using plus and minus signs.

Examples:

6. Semantic Feature

Some sentences have double meaning.

Examples:a. Marry doesn't care for her cat. (doesn't like it; doesn't take care of it)b. Chicken is ready to eat. (chicken will eat; chicken will be eaten)

7. Ambiguous

c.

When a question and an answer relate each other.

Examples:a. Question : When did you last see my brother? Answer : Ten minutes ago. Very nice.

b. Nick : It's cold here? Anny : I will close the window. The weather is hot.

8. Adjacency Pairs

Speakers are aware that two statements may be related in such a way that if one is true.

Examples:a. - John feed a cat. - John has a cat.

b. - Fido is a dog. - Fido is mammal.

9. Entailment

In a sentence there are some assumptions.

Examples: Angel goes to office by car.The sentence can be assumed : »Angel is an employee. »Angel has a car.

10. Presupposition