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meaning
Lecture 2
What is meaning?
Meaning is a certain reflection in our
mind of objects, phenomena or
relations that makes part of the
linguistic sign - its so-called inner
facet, whereas the sound-form
functions as its outer facet.
Types of meaning
Grammatical meaning
Lexical meaning
Grammatical meaning
According to Lyons (1995: 52) a lexeme may
have different word-forms and these wordforms will generally differ in meaning: their
grammatical meaning the meaning in
terms of grammar. For example, the forms
of student and students differ in respect of
their grammatical meaning.
Lexical meaning
The material meaning of a word, i.e. the
meaning of the main material part of the
word which reflects the concept the
given word expresses and the basic
properties of the thing (phenomenon,
quality, state, etc.) the word denotes.
Lexical meaning
The descriptive meaning
of a lexeme (sometimes
called
conceptual,
cognitive or propositional
meaning)
is
widely
assumed to be the central
factor
in
linguistic
communication.
Meaning
Lexical meaning
Grammatical meaning
Local officials
Local officials
Happiest person
Happiest person
Lexical meaning
Denotation
The conceptual content of a word is expressed in its denotative
meaning. To denote is to serve as a linguistic expression for a
concept or as a name for an individual object. It is the
denotational meaning that makes communication possible.
Connotation
The pragmatic communicative value the word receives
depending on where, when, how, by whom, for what purpose
and in what contexts it may be used. There are four main types
of connotations stylistic, emotional, evaluative and expressive
or intensifying.
Meaning
Well- known (neutral)
Famous (positive connotation)
Notorious (negative connotation)
Stylistic connotation
Stylistic connotations is what the word conveys about
the speaker's attitude to the social circumstances and
the appropriate functional style (slay vs kill), evaluative
connotation may show his approval or disapproval of the
object spoken of (clique vs group), emotional
connotation conveys the speaker's emotions (mummy vs
mother), the degree of intensity (adore vs love) is
conveyed by expressive or intensifying connotation.
The
Implicational meaning
Connotation differs from the implicational meaning of the
word. Implicational meaning is the implied information
associated with the word, with what the speakers know about
the referent.
A wolf is known to be greedy and cruel (implicational meaning)
but the denotative meaning of this word does not include these
features. The denotative or the intentional meaning of the word
wolf is "a wild animal resembling a dog that kills sheep and
sometimes even attacks men". Its figurative meaning is derived
from implied information, from what we know about wolves - "a
cruel greedy person", also the adjective wolfish means "greedy".
Lets practice!
1. Art is a vehicle of propaganda. 2. Raise the
bonnet of the car. 3. Don't fumble for excuses.
4. He's always ready to shove the responsibility
on others. 5. I'm sure he didn't steal the thing.
It had been planted. 6. This event is a
milestone in the history of the country. 7. It
will soil his reputation. 8. I'll swelter in this
coat on such a hot day. 9. There is a snag in
your argument. 10. A smile creased his face.
11. I stumbled through the text somehow. 12.