[Lecture4s本.docVIP

Lecture 4 The Meanings of Language Lan Chun (2014-4-8) Learning a language includes learning the “agreed-upon” meanings of certain strings of sounds and learning how to combine these meaningful units into larger units that also convey meaning. 1. Semantic Properties The assassin was stopped before he got to Thwacklehurst. The same semantic property may be part of the meaning of many different words. bitch hen actress maiden doe mare debutante widow ewe vixen girl woman actress, debutante, girl, maiden, widow, woman, doctor, dean, professor, bachelor, parent, baby, child The meaning of a word can be specified by indicating a “plus” or “minus” for the presence or absence of all the semantic properties that define the word: ACTRESS BABY GIRL BACHELOR MARE COURAGE +human +human +human +human -human +female +female -female +female +young +young -young -young +abstract SEMANTIC PROPERTY VERBS HAVING IT bring, fall, plod, walk, run… hit, kiss, touch… build, imagine, make… see, hear, feel darken, kill, uglify Evidence for the existence of semantic properties can be found in “slips of the tongue” that we all make. Substitution errors Blend errors 2. Ambiguity A word or a sentence is ambiguous if it can be understood or interpreted in more than one way. 2.1 lexical ambiguity She cannot bear children. The Rabbi married my sister. The girl found a book on Main Street. 2.2 metaphorical ambiguity Our doubts are traitors. (Shakespeare) Walls have ears. (Cervantes) The night has a thousand eyes and the day but one. (Frances William Bourdillon) Dr. Jekyll is a butcher. John is a snake in the grass. 2.3 structural ambiguity I know a man with a dog who has fleas. They hated the shooting of the hunters. The horse is ready to ride. John saw Joan walking to the store this morning. The invisible man’s hair tonic is in the plastic bottle. The English history teacher is having her tea. 3. Synonyms and Polysemies