Post on 08-Aug-2015
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WordIn language, a word is the smallest element that may be uttered in isolation with semantic or pragmatic content
Words are merely Symbols that represent the intended meaning.
Spoken words are made up of units of sound called phonemes, written words of symbols called graphemes: the letters of the English alphabet.
Word Study: ElementsWord is a linguistic unit.Word may be studied from various
view points.Elements of word study: phonic,
graphic, grammatical and lexicalIdentity of a word: phonic shape and
graphic representation.Interesting situations arise when
words are uttered - an aim and a name are phonologically one but graphologically and grammatically two words
Elements of Word StudyWord and Lexeme are synonyms, but
technically distinct.Word is a grammatical unit: identified on the
basis of morphological and syntactic criteria.Different words derived from the same
lexeme.Examples: Strong, strength strongly, forms of be
Lexeme is an identifiable semantic unit.Idioms: combination of words semantically
behaves like one lexeme.While discussing meaning we term the word
as a lexical item
Lexical CategoriesNature of the lexical item: Simple,
compound, complex and Idioms. Scatter: Different grammatical forms
(words): [GO]: go, went, gone, goingSet: the items that it exists with as
part of a specific semantic field: Diwan, sofa, chair, table. Words share with the other items of the set an area of meaning.
Collocation is its cooccurence power.
MeaningMeaning: Content- the relationship
between the lexical item and their referents.
Significance: Contrastive gives phonological and graphological significance: qu and ɧ
Value: sum total of paradigmatic and syntagmatic possibilities.◦Catch has paradigmatic relationship with hold and syntagmatic relation with object in motion.
Meaning and Information
Meaning and information:“Encoder” Code “decoder” Sender message receiver
“Sense”, “message”, “reference” and “denotation”
Sense refers to links that exists between related lexical items.
Meaning and InformationDenotation refers to the links between the
lexical category and the outside world.Reference is also relation between an
expression and an outside phenomenon, but here the reference is context bound.
Message is the totality of information that gets conveyed from one person to another.
Study of Code based aspect of message is semantic (meaning) and study of coder based aspect of message is pragmatics. (information)
Componential analysisDifference in conception and
perception leads to yet another topic
The components of our conception of a word can be represented as a set of generally recognisable labels.
Husband: HUMAN MALE MARRIEDGirl: HUMAN FEMALE NON ADULTDaughter: HUMAN OFFSPRING
FEMALE
Sub lexical semantics/ Selectional restrictionsSon, nephew: HUMAN MALE
◦pronoun he used, Daughter, niece: HUMAN FEMALE
pronoun she used◦Pammi: ???
Semantic component decides certain grammatical choices also
Lexicogrammatical consequence of a semantic component
Die, kill, murder, assasinate can not be compatible with window, building, cat and maid servant
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ReviewIntroductionElements of Word Study
◦ Identity of a word: Phonic shape and Graphic representation
◦Word and Lexeme◦Lexical Categories
Meaning ◦Meaning and information◦Componential analysis◦Sub lexical semantics◦Selectional restrictions
Recommended ReadingPalmer, F. R. Semantics.
Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.1976.
Prakasham, V. And A. Abbi. Semantic Theories of Language Teaching. Delhi: Allied Publishers. 1986.