Transcript Semantic Features

Selected Theories of
Word Meaning
 Reference
 Sense
 Mental images
 Various lexical relations
Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams. 2011. An Introduction to
Language, 9th edition. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, pp. 154-156.
Relationships between Words
(Semantic)
 Synonyms
 Antonyms
 Homophones / Homonyms
 Hyponyms
 Heteronyms
 Polysemous words
Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams. 2011. An Introduction to
Language, 9th edition. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, pp. 156-159.
Types of Antonyms
Gradable Pairs
more A means less B
big/small
hot/cold
Complementary Pairs
A = not B; B = not A
alive/dead
awake/asleep
(Relative scale: small elephant/big mouse)
Relational Pairs
If X = Y’s A, then Y = X’s B
teacher/student give/receive
Heteronyms ( 破音字 )
lead
read
dove
bow
rendezvous
record
articulate
Semantic Features of Words 1
 person, woman, doctor, boy, engineer, baby
+human
 doe, lady, sister, mare, her
+female
 girl, actress, woman, aunt, wife, widow
+human, +female
 child, baby, puppy, kitten
•
+animate, +young
Semantic Features of Words 2
生命
桌子
母牛
姑娘
女人
男孩
男人
–
+
+
+
+
+
人
–
–
+
+
+
+
雄性
–
–
–
–
+
+
成年
–
+
–
+
–
+
語言學導論，George Yule 著，張文軒譯，李靜芝校訂 (The Study of Language:
An Introduction) 台北市：書林出版有限公司，1999, p. 138.
Speech Errors 1
Intended Utterance
Actual Utterance (Error)
bridge of the nose
bridge of the neck
when my gums bled
when my tongues bled
he came too late
he came too early
Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams. 2011. An Introduction to
Language, 9th edition. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, p. 160.
Speech Errors 2
Mary was young
Mary was early
lady with the dachshund
lady with the Volkswagen
a horse of another color
a horse of another race
he has to pay her alimony
he has to pay her rent
Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams. 2011. An Introduction to
Language, 9th edition. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, p. 160.
Thematic Roles
Agent
Theme (or Patient)
Location
Goal
Source
Instrument
Experiencer
(Causative)
(Possessor)
Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman & Nina Hyams. 2011. An Introduction to
Language, 9th edition. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, p. 165.
Thematic Roles in Chinese
(SOME MARKERS—not all take markers)
Agent
Theme
Location
Goal
Source
Instrument
Experiencer
(Causative)
(Possessor)
Thematic Roles in Chinese
(SOME MARKERS—not all take markers)
Agent
被
[Passive only]
Theme
把
Location
在
上
下
左
右
Goal
到
給
Source
從
向
跟
Instrument
用
Experiencer
(Causative)
讓
etc
(Possessor)
的
Chapter on Meaning
Homework (Ex 6)
Semantic Ambiguity
a. bank
b. kind: noun vs. adjective
c. sole
d. drill; boring
e. deed
f. ruler
g. can: noun vs. modal
h. shop: noun vs. verb
i. a woman: same woman OR different women
j. make your own bed: idiom or not
k. job vs. idiom
l. marry; a Norwegian woman (same as i)
Chapter on Meaning
Homework (Ex 9) 1
Semantic Features
A. a & b +male, +animate
a +human
b –human
B. a & b NOUNS ?
a +count (countable)
b –count (non-count; mass nouns)
C. a & b NOUNS ?
a +concrete
b –concrete (abstract)
Chapter on Meaning
Homework (Ex 9) 2
Semantic Features
D. a & b +plant
a trees
b flowers
E. a & b ?
a written things/documents
b writing instruments
F. a & b motion VERBS
a individual effort / without a vehicle
b done with a vehicle
Chapter on Meaning
Homework (Ex 9) 3
Semantic Features
G. a & b speaking
a no manner specified
b particular manner specified
H. a & b ANTONYMS
a complementary
b gradable
I. a & b ADJECTIVES
a “non-implicational” (Adj N may not be an N)
b “implicational” (Adj N is an N)
Chapter on Meaning
Homework (Ex 11) 1
Antonyms
good
expensive
parent
beautiful
false
lessor
pass
bad
cheap
offspring
ugly
true
lessee
fail
g
g
r
g
c
r
c
Chapter on Meaning
Homework (Ex 11) 2
Antonyms
hot
legal
larger
poor
fast
asleep
husband
rude
cold
illegal
smaller
rich
slow
awake
wife
polite
g
c
r
g
g
c
r
g
Chapter on Meaning
Homework (9th Edition: Ex 12)
Hints
a. bare
c. praise
e. sight
g. plain
i. mane
b.
d.
f.
h.
j.
lead
byte
pairs
karat
frees