1. English Linguistics 1

2. 3 What's in a word: lexicology 3.1Conceptual and lexical categories 3.1.1Conceptual categories 3.1.2Lexical categories 3.2Words and meanings 3.2.1Routes to meaning 3.2.2What is meaning? 27.10.2010Session 32

3. 3.3Lexical fields 3.4Lexical relations/meaning relations 3.4.1.Synonymy 3.4.2.Relationships of contrast 3.4.3.Hierarchical relationships 27.10.2010Session 33

4. 3.5Lexical ambiguity 3.5.1Polysemy 3.5.2Homonymy 3.6Metaphor and metonymy 3.6.1Metaphor 3.6.2Metonymy 27.10.2010Session 34

5. 3.1 Conceptual and lexical categories aspects focused on so far: signs - the link between their (material) form and meaning / function in order to get a better understanding of the nature of language: a 'look' into the minds of the speakers / the conceptual world – the pre-linguistic world 27.10.2010Session 35

6. 3.1.1 Conceptual categories concept: a person's 'idea' of what something in the world is like e.g. 'mother', 'dog'– single entities – 27.10.2010Session 36

7. humans tend to 'slice' reality into discernible units → conceptual categories whenever we perceive sth. we attempt to categorize it, e.g. piece of music classification as jazz, rock, pop, classical, techno, ethno, world music etc. 27.10.2010Session 37

8. conceptual categories laid down / expressed in language = linguistic categories (signs) we all have made experience that there are more concepts than linguistic expressions, e.g. when we try to describe a phenomenon knowing that there is no exact term; different from just not knowing a term! 27.10.2010Session 38

9. 27.10.2010 Session 3 9 conceptual categories/stage linguistic categories/levelother modes of expression lexiconsyntax/grammar formmeaning realization as sound sign Fig. 3-1: From concept to sound (simplified)

10. What makes the step from concept to linguistic category so interesting? problems / questions: - Are concepts universal/ the same for all humans? - Are concepts socio-culturally determined? - What happens when concepts are 'translated' into languages? no attempt at definite answers! just a glimpse at some phenomena 27.10.2010Session 310

11. compare expressions for same concept in different languages: E F GHufeisen I → different languages may 'translate' the same phenomenon differently – the construal / construction of the 'world' in linguistic items 27.10.2010Session 311

12. Signs differently motivated: E, F, I – relationship between the animal as a whole and the protecting device G – F, I, G – E – 27.10.2010Session 312

13. Egrand piano - Fpiano à queue - GFlügel - F and G – 27.10.2010Session 313

14. concept: 'part of the street for pedestrians' BEpavement - AEsidewalk - Ftrottoir - from trotter: GGehsteig - Bürgersteig - AuG Trottoir - see French, but? 27.10.2010Session 314

15. so far: conceptual categories 'translated'  words or lexical categories similar relationships applies also to 'translation'  grammatical categories 27.10.2010Session 315

16. different ways of saying more or less the same thing Look at that rain. same lexical category: rain different word classes: (1) noun, (2) verb 27.10.2010Session 316

17. E kiss Navajo 27.10.2010Session 317

18. Summary: when transforming a concept into a linguistic category languages may focus on different characteristics / features of the concept and make this characteristic the most prominent by expressing it linguistically, at the same time – disregard other features; the same applies to more complex conceptual phenomena 27.10.2010Session 318

19. 3.1.2 Lexical categories examples from 3.1.1 relatively 'clear' (horse- shoe, piano, pavement) definition/ description of their 'lexical meaning' can be agreed upon by different people other cases add another dimension, e.g. vase ? 27.10.2010Session 319

20. ex. vase many different shapes and types - common denominator: 'container for flowers' question: what is our concept of a typical 'vase'? 27.10.2010Session 320 Fig. 3-2

21. ex. chair: task: draw a picture of a 'chair', that comes to your mind, do not think too long about it, there is no 'right' or 'wrong' 27.10.2010Session 321

22. the most typical or best member – the subtype that first comes to mind = prototype / prototypical member ≠ peripheral members 27.10.2010Session 322

23. 27.10.2010Session 323 Fig. 3-3: Chairs category of stools different from chairs – lack of a back

24. Fig. 3-4: A selection of the drawings of cup-like objects used by Labov 27.10.2010Session 324

25. centre firmly established boundaries far from absolute fuzzy, overlap 27.10.2010Session 325

26. 3.2 Words and meanings 3.2.1 Routes to meaning Two starting points: 1. word  which senses? 2. concept  which words? 27.10.2010Session 326

27. ad 1. dictionary  fruit a, b, c, d….. word form  list of various senses = semasiology (Greek sema 'sign') Look up the senses/meanings of 'fruit' in the DCE or another monolingual dictionary (at least 5 to 6 meanings): 27.10.2010Session 327

28. fruit /fru:t/ n plural fruit or fruits 27.10.2010Session 328

29. 27.10.2010Session 329

30. ad 2. onomasiology (Greek ónoma 'name') concept  list of words which denote the same or similar concepts use a dictionary of synonyms to find synonyms for the concept of 'fruit': (thesaurus, synonym finder) 27.10.2010Session 330

31. fruit, n. a. b. 27.10.2010Session 331

32. 3.2.2 What is meaning? no generally accepted definition of 'meaning' suggestion (1): words name or label things in the world, two aspects are taken care of:  distinction between denotation and reference 27.10.2010Session 332

33. denotation – class of things indicated by a word reference – a particular thing when the word is used e.g. A cat. A cat. Three men. 27.10.2010Session 333

34. suggestion (2): two aspects - all 'things' in the world the expression can be used to refer to and the inherent / internal characteristics or features  distinction between extension and intension 27.10.2010Session 334

35. extension – all things, facts, abstract ideas … which can be referred to by the same linguistic expression (= ~ denotation, see above) intension – the features which define the expression 27.10.2010Session 335

36. exs.: evening star, morning star – different intension, same extension = Tony Blair (extension) different intensions (up to 2007): the prime minister of GB, the Labour leader, Cherie's husband 27.10.2010Session 336

37. suggestion (3): the semantic triangle – room for the idea, the concept 27.10.2010Session 337 signifié signified Begriff signifiant signifier Bezeichnung chose thing Sache

38. Other types of meaning (so far: 'denotation and reference') e.g. That girl is a real cat. ('unpleasant woman') cat – different from cat 1 (denotation) they differ in denotation - they also differ in the associations that come to our mind 27.10.2010Session 338

39. + types of meaning which refer to associations that words have for us connotation / connotational meanings 27.10.2010Session 339

40. Try to complete the types: individual associations: woman stylistic or social: give other choices with a stylistic difference domicile - 27.10.2010Session 340

41. regional: editorial – petrol – chips – … reflected meaning: the Holy Ghost, the Comforter 27.10.2010Session 341

42. collocational meaning 'good looking, attractive' pretty - handsome pretty + [ ] handsome + [ ] different in their collocations 27.10.2010Session 342

43. languages differ in the collocational range of words G Nase, Zähne, Schuhe putzen E 27.10.2010Session 343