S E M A N T I C S 1. Study of linguistic meanings - PowerPoint Presentation

S E M A N T I C S

1. Study of linguistic meanings 2. Explores the variety of meanings and meaning relationships that hold between words and sentences 3. Has 2 sub-domains: Lexical (words) and sentential (sentences) S E M A N T I C S

denotations VS referents Denotation: literal meaning of word/phraseReferent: the actual entity (ies) that a word signifies. Reference : the relationship that exists between a word and its referent(s).

a) The President of the United States denotations VS referents

b) Capital of Canada d enotations VS referents

c ) The women who walked on the moon denotations VS referents

d ) My linguistic professor denotations VS referents

The eye of a needleThe foot of the bedThe hands of the clockThe arm of a chair Describes non-living entities in terms of physical human features metaphors we live by

The lecture is easy to digestHe just eats up the lecturer’s wordsChew on this thought for a whileListen to this juicy piece of gossip Describes knowledge in terms of food-related terminology m etaphors we live by

Your claims are indefensibleHe shot down all my argumentsHis criticisms were right on target If you use that strategy , he’ll wipe you out I demolished his argument He attacked every weak point in my argument Describes arguments in terms of war terminology metaphors we live by

He unleashed his angerHer anger was arousedYour temper is ferociousShe was bristling with rage Describes wrath in terms of animalistic features m etaphors we live by

Sentential semantics – Relations between sentences AKA Logical connections ParaphraseEntailmentContradictionPresuppositionlogical entailment

Definition of entailment: Proposition A entails Proposition B if the truth of A makes B necessarily true. i.e The truth of sentence A ensures the truth of sentence B. Lecture exampleA: I boiled an egg. B: I cooked an egg. lo gical entailment

“The truth of sentence A makes B necessarily true.” 1A 1BExplanation1) Hilary and Dana are married to each other. i) Hilary is a woman. Married =/= Woman Hilary could be a man. ii) Dana is Hilary’s spouse. Married = Spouses of one another. iii) Hilary and Dana are husband and wife. Married =/= Husband & wife Since there is gender ambiguity. Ans : Wife & wife. iv) Dana is not single. Married = Dana is not single. v) Hilary and Dana live together. Married =/= living together. Could be married but living separately. lo gical entailment

1A 1B Explanation1) Hilary and Dana are married to each other. i) Hilary is a woman. Married =/= Woman Hilary could be a man. ii) Dana is Hilary’s spouse. Married = Spouses of one another. iii) Hilary and Dana are husband and wife. Married =/= Husband & wife Since there is gender ambiguity. Ans : Wife & wife. iv) Dana is not single. Married = Dana is not single. v) Hilary and Dana live together. Married =/= living together. Could be married but living separately. “The truth of sentence A makes B necessarily true.” lo gical entailment

2A 2B Explanation2) Romeo kissed Juliet passionately.i) Romeo kissed Juliet. Have to kiss before doing it passionately. ii) Juliet kissed Romeo. R kissing J passionately =/= J kissed R. J could have not kissed R back. iii) Romeo kissed Juliet many times. Does not have to be many kisses for it to be done passionately. iv) Juliet was kissed by Romeo. R kissed J = J kissed by R v) Romeo loves Juliet. Kissing passionately =/= in love. Reckless youth. lo gical entailment “The truth of sentence A makes B necessarily true.”

2A 2B Explanation2) Romeo kissed Juliet passionately.i) Romeo kissed Juliet. Have to kiss before doing it passionately. ii) Juliet kissed Romeo. R kissing J passionately =/= J kissed R. J could have not kissed R back. iii) Romeo kissed Juliet many times. Does not have to be many kisses for it to be done passionately. iv) Juliet was kissed by Romeo. R kissed J = J kissed by R v) Romeo loves Juliet. Kissing passionately =/= in love. Reckless youth. “The truth of sentence A makes B necessarily true.” lo gical entailment

3A 3B ExplanationJohn shot Tom’s brother dead.i) John is a murderer. John could have killed Tom’s bro in self-defense  Not necessarily a murderer. ii) Tom’s brother was a victim of a violent crime. Assumes that Tom’s bro was a victim. It could be an accidental shot/killing. iii) Tom’s brother is dead. John shot Tom’s bro dead = Tom’s bro dead. iv) John knew Tom’s brother. You can shoot someone you do not know. v) John hated Tom. Could have shot by accident, without any feelings of hatred. lo gical entailment “The truth of sentence A makes B necessarily true.”

lo gical entailment3A3BExplanation John shot Tom’s brother dead . i) John is a murderer. John could have killed Tom’s bro in self-defense  Not necessarily a murderer. ii) Tom’s brother was a victim of a violent crime. Assumes that Tom’s bro was a victim. It could be an accidental shot/killing. iii) Tom’s brother is dead. John shot Tom’s bro dead = Tom’s bro dead. iv) John knew Tom’s brother. You can shoot someone you do not know. v) John hated Tom. Could have shot by accident, without any feelings of hatred. “The truth of sentence A makes B necessarily true.”

Definition of Presupposition :An implicit assumption about the world or background belief relating to a sentence whose truth is taken for granted, so to speak. Presupposition

John regrets that Maria went to the graduation ceremony. John believes that Maria went to the graduation ceremony.presupposition (A) Ans: John regrets that Maria went to the graduation ceremony. Regrets : Presupposition that Maria has gone to the graduation ceremony already. Believes : Encapsulates a personal opinion.

The captain thought that the ship was in danger. The captain realized that the ship was in danger.presupposition (A) Ans: The captain realized that the ship was in danger. Realized : Presupposition that the ship is already in danger. Thought : Encapsulates a personal opinion.

It is significant that the criminal was sentenced. It is likely that the criminal was sentenced. presupposition (A) Answer: It is significant that the criminal was sentenced. Significant Presupposition that criminal is already sentenced Likely encapsulates a personal opinion and criminal might not be sentenced yet.

Sylvia is dead Murderer is unknown There must be a Sylvia presupposition (B) A. Who killed Sylvia?

p resupposition (B) B. Where did you put the cheese? Cheese has to exist in this world The cheese is not at its original position Someone/something is responsible for misplacing the cheese

p resupposition (B) C . Why is there sadness in the world? There is must be an emotion called sadness in the world A world has to be in existence

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