Dr. Bill Vicars Lifeprint.com

You do NOT need to memorize this. It is FYI You do NOT need to memorize this. It is FYI. Se·man·tics (noun) = The branch of linguistics concerned with meaning. Formal semantics: The logical aspects of meaning, such as sense, reference, implication, and logical form. Lexical semantics: Word meanings and word relations. Conceptual semantics: The cognitive structure of meaning. Linguistics, 5th Edition

ASL Linguistics (Unit 22) Semantics: “The Meaning of Sentences” Linguistics, 5th Edition

CAT CHASE DOG vs DOG CHASE CAT Why do these two sentences have different meanings?

Word (sign) order.

“Word order” helps determine the “Semantic Role” of each sign in a sentence.

A “role” is a part you play in a movie.

A “semantic role” is a part played by a word in a sentence.

Just as we have names for actors in movies (protagonist, antagonist, supporting character, etc.) …

…we also have names for the parts played by WORDS (or signs) in sentences.

The “role” that a word plays in determining meaning in a sentence is called what?

“Semantic Role”

Here is a first glance, we will go over them all, (with examples) …

Semantic Roles: AGENT PATIENT EXPERIENCER INSTRUMENT CAUSE

In the sentence: CAT CHASE DOG which sign is the AGENT or doer?

CAT

In the sentence CAT CHASE DOG what is the semantic role of the sign CAT?

AGENT

In the sentence DOG CHASE CAT the cat is now the what?

PATIENT

In a sentence like JOAN EAT PIZZA Joan would be the “AGENT” but what if we changed that to…

JOAN LIKE PIZZA

Instead of calling JOAN the “AGENT” it would be a better fit to call her the “EXPERIENCER.”

If you are doing something your role is what?

AGENT

If you are enjoying or (suffering, etc If you are enjoying or (suffering, etc.) some physical or psychological sensation your role is what?

Experiencer

Consider a sentence like: DOOR, KEY<t>, dv: KEY-OPEN-DOOR

Since it would be weird to think of a “KEY” as a “doer” of an action we might instead call it an…

INSTRUMENT

Note: The semantic role of “INSTRUMENT” is often shown in ASL how?

Answer: Via depiction (formerly known as “classifiers”).

Consider: <TREE>, TORNADO DESTROY.

Hmmm, hard to think of a “tornado” as an instrument eh Hmmm, hard to think of a “tornado” as an instrument eh? (Unless you are God.) Let’s instead just call it a …

CAUSE

So, let’s name those semantic roles again. What were they?

AGENT

PATIENT

EXPERIENCER

INSTRUMENT

CAUSE

AGENT PATIENT EXPERIENCER INSTRUMENT CAUSE

What was the “other” thing that we recently discussed that determines the meaning of a sentence?

Word (or sign) order.

Now let’s add to that list of things that help us understand the meaning of sentences:

“FUNCTION WORDS” (or if they are meaningful parts of words we will call ‘em “function morphemes”).

Function words are used for: TENSE ASPECT REFERENCE deixis

“-ed” or “last night” establishes what?

TENSE

SIT-FOR-A-LONG-TIME shows what?

ASPECT (how/manner/way)

“A cat is on the porch. ” vs “The cat is on the porch “A cat is on the porch.” vs “The cat is on the porch.” What is the difference?

“A” and “THE” are determiners that allow use to reference different things.

“A” = “any unspecified person, place, thing, or idea.”

“THE” = a specific or particular person, place, thing, or idea.

BOY/DET SILLY vs BOY SILLY is an example of what type of “function word” usage?

REFERENCE (in this case using a determiner).

Suppose your teacher comes into the class and says (signs) “Do you have questions about that?”

You do not know what he/she is talking about unless he or she “points” to the reference.

This is an example of what?

deixis

YOU = personal deixis THAT = spacial deixis A third kind of deixis is…

“temporal deixis” Suppose your teacher says “Back then we used to do it this way.”

“Back then we used to do it this way “Back then we used to do it this way.” The word then would be temporal deixis and the word this would be spacial deixis. (And “we” would be personal deixis!)

Another topic related to “semantic meaning of sentences” is…

CONTEXT

“It’s hot in here.” May actually mean…

Get up and open the window.

The area of linguistics that investigates the role of context in understanding meaning is…

PRAGMATICS

One sentence may have more than one meaning.

Pragmatics helps us make sense of the fact that one sentence can have more than one meaning (based on context).

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Dr. Bill Vicars Lifeprint.com