Chapter 5 Meaning

5.1 Meanings of “meaning”

5.2 The referential theory

5.3 Sense relations

5.3.1 Synonymy

5.3.2 Antonymy

5.3.3 Hyponymy

5.4 Componential analysis

5.5. Sentence meaning

5.5.1 An integrated theory

5.5.2 Logical semantics

Semantics: the study of the meaning of linguistic units, words and sentences in particular.

5.1 Meanings of “meaning”

Ogden & Richards: 16 major categories of meaning, with 22 sub-categories

Ogden, C. K. & I. A. Richards. 1923. The Meaning of Meaning[M]. London:

Routledge & Kegan Paul.

Leech: 7 types of meaning

Leech, G. 1981[1974]. Semantics: The study of Meaning [M]. Harmondsworth:

Penguin.

Conceptual meaning (概念意义): similar to reference (指称)

Connotative meaning (内涵意义): some additional, especially emotive meaning. E.g. c.f. politician & statesman

Note: Connotation and denotation in philosophy

CONNOTATION (内涵)

DENOTATION (外延)

E.g. human

Thematic meaning (主题意义)

Question: How to explain the meaning of a word in the conceptual meaning?

E.g. DESK

1) to point to a desk directly

2) to describe it as “a piece of furniture with a flat top and four legs, at which one reads and writes.

3) to paraphrase it as “a desk is a kind of table, which has drawers”

4) to give the Chinese equivalent 书桌

5.2 The referential theory

Problems:

The concrete thing pointed at differs from the abstract concept behind the thing. The object pointed at does not directly correspond to the concept.

CONCEPT

Semantic triangle concept