1. English Morphology and Lexicology

2. Chapter 8 Meaning and Context
8.1 Types of context
1)Extra-linguistic context
2)Liguistic context
8.2 The role of context
1)Elimination of ambiguity
2)Indication of referents
3)Provision of clues for inferring word-meaning

3. Warm-up Mother: Johnny, go over the road and see how old Mrs Jones is.
(The boy comes back and says…)
Johnny: Mrs Jones says it is none of my business.

4. Warm-up She is looking for a match. The fisherman went to the bank.
The chicken is ready to eat.
Visiting relatives can be boring.

5. More … The lady hit the man with an umbrella. He gave her cat food.
The man saw the boy with the binoculars.
They are hunting dogs.
I told her books were funny.
I love hunting dogs.
Will Will will the will to Will?

6. Warm-up
Context is very important for the understanding of (word-)meaning because the meaning is influenced immediately by the linguistic context, and in many cases by the whole speech situation as well.

7. 8.1 Types of context Linguistic context
Extra-linguistic context (non-linguistic context)

8. 1) Extra-linguistic context
I do think Adam’s quick.
Quick in developing
Quick to understand/react/see the joke
“Look out!”
Look outside
Be careful
Context: speaker; hearer; place; time
Situational context

9. 1) Extra-linguistic context
trade union
Western countries
China
landlord
Chinese culture
Western culture
weekend
Western weekend
Chinese weekend (before May 1, 1995)
Cultural contexts

10. 2) Linguistic context Lexical context paper (a sheet of) paper
(a white) paper
(a term) paper
(today’s) paper
(examination) paper

11. 2) Linguistic context Lexical context do do (a sum) do (one’s teeth)
do (the flowers)
do (fish)
do (science at school)
do (a museum/a city/a country)

12. 2) Linguistic context Grammatical context become
become+adj./n. (begin to be)
Become+pron/n. (suit; befit)
become of (happen to, often in a bad way)

13. 2) Linguistic context
However, there are cases where the meaning of a word may remain a puzzle until a whole paragraph, a chapter or even a whole book is covered.
“Janet! Donkeys!”
“THE?”

14. 8.2 The role of context He is a hard businessman.
Context 1: hard-working
Context 2: difficult
He is a hard businessman to deal with.
Elimination of ambiguity
John ran the egg and spoon race.
Participate in
Organize
John ran the egg and spoon race and won second place.

15. 8.2 The role of context They saw her duck. The ball was attractive.
Context 1: n.
Context 2: v.
They saw her duck swimming in the river.
The ball was attractive.
Context 1:
Context 2:
The ball was attractive with nice music and a lot of people.

16. 8.2 The role of context The fish is ready to eat.
What a nice smell! The fish is ready to eat.
I like Mary better than Jean.
I like Mary better than Jean does.
I like Mary better than I do Jean.

17. 8.2 The role of context Indication of referents
Teddie never argues with his father when he’s drunk.
He introduced me to the pilot. He looked after him when he was in hospital. He really did a fine job, and nothing was too much trouble for him.

18. 8.2 The role of context Indication of referents
When Teddie is drunk, he never argues with his father.
He introduced me to the pilot whom he had looked after in hospital. He really did a fine job, and nothing was too much trouble for him.

19. 8.2 The role of context Provision of clues for inferring word-meaning
Definition
Perhaps the most startling theory to come out of kinesics, the study of body movement, was suggested by Professor Bird-whistell.

20. 8.2 The role of context Provision of clues for inferring word-meaning
Explanation
It is just one more incredible result of the development of microprocessors—those tiny parts of a computer commonly known as ‘silicon chips’.

21. 8.2 The role of context Provision of clues for inferring word-meaning
Example
Many United Nations employees are polyglots. Ms. Mary, for example, speaks five languages.

22. 8.2 The role of context Provision of clues for inferring word-meaning
Synonymy
Their greatest fear was of a conflagration, since fire would destroy their flimsy wooden settlement before help could arrive.

23. 8.2 The role of context Provision of clues for inferring word-meaning
Antonymy
As the fighting on all fronts reached its peak, the economy neared its nadir.

24. 8.2 The role of context Provision of clues for inferring word-meaning
Hyponymy
The village had most of the usual amenities; a pub, a library, a post office, a village hall, a medical centre, and a school.

25. 8.2 The role of context Provision of clues for inferring word-meaning
Relative details
‘Do get me a clop,’ she said, smacking her lips, but her brother, with a scornful glance up at the branches, said that there were none ripe yet.

26. 8.2 The role of context Provision of clues for inferring word-meaning
Word structure
Copernicus believed in a heliocentric universe, rather than the geocentric theory.

27. THANK YOU