Semantics introduction
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This document provides an introduction to semantics, the study of meaning in language. It defines semantics and discusses its two main divisions: lexical semantics, which is the study of word meanings, and phrasal semantics, which is the study of how meanings of phrases and sentences are constructed from individual words. The document then examines several types of semantic relationships that can exist between words, including synonymy, homonymy, antonymy, hyponymy, meronymy, and polysemy.
Semantics introduction
- 1. Introduction to Linguistics Part Four- Meaning (Semantics) (Study of Meaning)
- 2. Definition Semantics is a study of the meaning of lexical items and other parts of language. It deals with the study of meanings of words, changes in meaning, and the principles that govern the relationship between sentences or words and their meanings. The term semantics (from the Greek for "sign") was coined by French linguist Michel Bréal in ‘An essay on semantics’, 1897 who is commonly regarded as a founder of modern semantics.
- 3. Basic Divisions "Based on the distinction between the meanings of words and the meanings of sentences, we can recognize two main divisions in the study of semantics: 1- Lexical semantics; the study of word meaning, 2- Phrasal semantics; the study of the principles which govern the construction of the meaning of phrases and of sentence meaning out of compositional combinations of individual lexemes.
- 4. Semantic relationships between words Semantic relationships are the associations that exist; 1. Between the meanings of words (semantic relationships at lexical/word level). 1. Between the meanings of phrases, or between the meanings of sentences (semantic relationships at phrase or sentence level). Note: In this lecture we will discuss only Semantic relationships at word level.
- 5. Semantic relationships at word level The basic study of semantics is oriented to the examination of the meaning of signs, and the study of relations between different linguistic units and compounds. Synonymy Homonymy Antonymy Hyponymy Meronymy Polysemy
- 6. Synonymy is the relationship between two words that have the same sense. Example: unhappy/sad, present/gift, prisoner/convict. Homonymy broadly defined as words which sound alike or are spelled alike, but have different meanings. Example: the pair left (past tense of leave) and left (opposite of right), Bank, Bark etc. Antonym is used to describe oppositeness of meaning. Example: on-off, old-young, big-small, male-female, dead-alive. Hyponymy involves the logical relationship of inclusion. For instance, the meaning of “animal” is included in the meaning of lion, goat, dog and so on.
- 7. Meronymy is used to describe a part-whole relationship between lexical items. A has B means that B is part of A. Example: A human has an arm – An arm has a hand. – A hand has a finger. Polysemy refers to the word or an expression that has multiple meanings which are related conceptually or historically. Example: Guard • person who guards • a group of soldiers • person who is in charge of a train