PPT_for_General___Linguistics(7.Semantics--Componential_Analysis).ppt

Semantics: Componential Analysis 楚军　外国语学院 General Linguistics Componential Analysis(a structural approach to meaning) Outline: 1. The theory of componential analysis 2. Criticisms /Disadvantages of the theory 3. Applications /Advantages of the theory 1. Theory of Componential Analysis Componential Analysis --shortened as CA, is a theory of word-meanings. (Leech 1981: 84) The analysis of word meanings is often seen as a process of breaking down the sense of a word into its minimal components, which are known as semantic features, sense components, semantic markers or sememes (义位). 1. Theory of Componential Analysis A B C (1) man woman child (2) ram ewe lamb (3) drake duck duckling (4) stallion mare foal (5) boar sow piglet (6) rooster hen chicken From the above table, we may abstract the following semantic features: Column A: [Male], [Adult]; Column B: [Female], [Adult]; Column C: [Non-adult]; Line (1): [Human]; Line (2): [Ovine]; Line (3): [Anatine]; Line (4): [Equine]; Line (5): [Porcine]; Line (6): [Galline]. 1. Theory of Componential Analysis The method of componential analysis is to reduce a words meaning to its ultimate contrastive elements. Semantic features are established on the basis of binary opposition, e.g. between [Male] and [Female], [Animate] and [Inanimate], [Adult] and [Non-adult]. For the sake of economy, we use pluses + as positive and minuses - as negative. “ Thus, [Male] and [Female] are written as [+Male] and [-Male] and so on. 1. Theory of Componential Analysis Examples: woman: [+Human +Adult -Male]; boar: [+Porcine +Adult +Male]; girl: [+Human -Adult -Male]; ewe: [+Ovine +Adult -Male]. The sense components in square brackets are called “semantic formula” or Componential Definitions“. 1. Theory of Componential Analysis The purpose of componential analysis: to study the conceptual-lexical relations. Through analyzing the semantic elements of word-meanings,