Semantics 5

Semantics

Class 5

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is correct?

• The sun melted the water.

• The sun melted the candy.

• The sun melted the smoke.

Selectional restrictions

MELT

Selectional restrictions

MELT

Selectional restrictions

MELT

Selectional restrictions

MELT

Selectional restrictions

MELT

[+SOLID]

Selectional restrictions

1.Suzan is pregnant.

2.The ewe is pregnant.

3.The dog is pregnant.

Selectional restrictions

1.Suzan is pregnant.

2.The ewe is pregnant.

3.The dog is pregnant.

PREGNANT

Selectional restrictions

1.Suzan is pregnant.

2.The ewe is pregnant.

3.The dog is pregnant.

PREGNANT

[+ANIMATE]

[-MALE] or

[+FEMALE]

Open Ended

What are the selectional restrictions in these cases? (1) The dog drank some water; (2) She drank some water

Slectional restrictions

1. Apart from semantic features, words require co-occurring words to have particular features.

2. Frequently verbs select features for their subjects and objects. Adjectives select nouns.

Figurative language

“Hidden in the shadows of a massive election year, tucked under the sheets of a war gone awry and a highway scuffle, another battle has been brewing.”

Gibbs and Colston (2006: 835)

Figurative language

"A traditional assumption in many academic disciplines is that literal meaning is primary and the product of default language comprehension. Thus, in psycholinguistic terms, the human language processor is designed for the analysis of literal meanings. Nonliteral, indirect, and figurative meanings are secondary products, and dependent on some prior analysis of what words and expressions literally mean. This general theory implies that nonliteral meanings should always take more time to interpret than are literal meanings."

Gibbs and Colston (2006: 837)

Figurative language

1. An intruder attacked me.

2. Envy attacked me.

3. The stone attacked me.

Figurative language

1. An intruder attacked me.

2. Envy attacked me.

3. The stone attacked me.

ATTACK

[+ANIMATE]

Figurative language

1. An intruder attacked me.

2. Envy attacked me.

3. The stone attacked me.

ATTACK

[+ANIMATE]

Figurative uses break selectional restrictions.

Oxymoron

Oxymoron

1. living death

Oxymoron

1. living death

2. silent scream

Oxymoron

1. living death

2. silent scream

3. pleasing pain

Oxymoron

1. living death

2. silent scream

3. pleasing pain

A figure of speech that employs opposing terms.

Oxymoron

1. living death

2. silent scream

3. pleasing pain

A figure of speech that employs opposing terms.

The most common types of oxymorons involve two words.

Oxymoron

1._______ ICE

2. NOISELESS _______

3. _______ FOOL

4. _______ CORPSE

5. DEAFENING _______

Oxymoron

1.BURNING ICE

2. NOISELESS THUNDER

3. WISE FOOL

4. LIVING CORPSE

5. DEAFENING SILENCE

Tautology

1.An orphan is a parentless child.

2. Boys are boys.

3. She is her mother's daughter.

Tautology

1.An orphan is a parentless child.

2. Boys are boys.

3. She is her mother's daughter.

Needless repetition of the same sense in different words.

Tautology

1.An orphan is a parentless child.

2. Boys are boys.

3. She is her mother's daughter.

Needless repetition of the same sense in different words.

Tautologies offer no new information.

Tautology

1._______ IS BUSINESS

2. FIRST AND _______

3. A EWE IS A _______

4. HE WAS SO EXCITED HE COULD NOT HIDE HIS _______.

5. HE IS ALWAYS PUNCTUAL AND ARRIVES ON _______.

Tautology

1.BUSINESS IS BUSINESS

2. FIRST AND FOREMOST

3. A EWE IS A FEMALE SHEEP

4. HE WAS SO EXCITED HE COULD NOT HIDE HIS ENTHUSIASM.

5. HE IS ALWAYS PUNCTUAL AND ARRIVES ON TIME.

Synesthesia

Synesthesia

​"Synesthesia means “to perceive together,” and strong synesthesia occurs when a stimulus produces not only the sensory quality typically associated with that modality, but also a quality typically associated with another modality." [vivid image response]

​"There is considerable evidence that one can create, identify, and appreciate cross-modal connections or associations even if one is not strongly synesthetic. These abilities constitute weak synesthesia. One form of association is the cross-modal metaphor found in common language (e.g., warm colour and sweet smell) and in literature."

Martino and Marks (2001)

Synesthesia

Synesthesia

​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLXYILcRoPQ&ab_channel=MichelGagne

Synesthesia

​It is an expression which combines a word from one sensory domain with a word from another sensory domain.

1. I am hearing the shape of the rain.

2. I see a sound.

3. He could hear, of course, all kinds of words changing colour.

4. Loud colours.

Synesthesia

Synesthesia

​1) _______ WITH ANGER. 2) _______ WITH ENVY.

3) SHRINKING ______.

4) _______ MOOD.

Synesthesia

​1) RED WITH ANGER.

2) GREEN WITH ENVY.

3) SHRINKING VIOLET.

4) BLUE MOOD.

Metonymy and synecdoche

1. I am reading Shakespeare.

2. America does not want another Pearl Harbour.

3. Washington is negotiating with Moscow.

4. We need a better glove at third base.

Metonymy and synecdoche

​I am reading Shakespeare.

Metonymy and synecdoche

​I am reading Shakespeare.

​I am reading Shakespeare's works.

Metonymy and synecdoche

​I am reading Shakespeare.

​I am reading Shakespeare's works.

CONCEPTUAL DOMAIN 1

CONCEPTUAL DOMAIN 1

Metonymy and synecdoche

​I am reading Shakespeare.

​I am reading Shakespeare's works.

CONCEPTUAL DOMAIN 1

CONCEPTUAL DOMAIN 1

AUTHOR

WORK

Metonymy and synecdoche

​I am reading Shakespeare.

​I am reading Shakespeare's works.

CONCEPTUAL DOMAIN 1

CONCEPTUAL DOMAIN 1

AUTHOR

WORK

THE AUTHOR FOR THE WORK

​Idealised Cognitive Model

Metonymy and synecdoche

​I am reading Shakespeare.

THE AUTHOR FOR THE WORK

CONCEPTUAL DOMAINS

A conceptual domain is our conceptual representation, or knowledge, of any coherent segment of experience. These representations are called 'concepts'. This knowledge involves both the knowledge of basic elements that constitute a domain and knowledge that is rich in detail.

Metonymy and synecdoche

Metonymy is a PART-FOR-WHOLE or WHOLE-FOR-PART relationship.

​FORM (1)

​CONCEPT (1)

​THING/EVENT (1)

Metonymy and synecdoche

We need some good heads on the project.

Metonymy and synecdoche

We need some good heads on the project.

PART FOR WHOLE

Metonymy and synecdoche

We need some good heads on the project.

PART FOR WHOLE

Metonymy and synecdoche

• Constitution ICM

  e.g. wood for 'forest', glass for 'wine', wheels for 'car'

• Category-and-Member ICM

  e.g. the pill for 'aspirin', aspirin for 'any pain-killer',

• Category-and-Property ICM

  e.g. jerk for 'stupidity', greens for 'vegetables'

Whole and Part

Metonymy and synecdoche

• Action ICM

  e.g. INSTRUMENT FOR ACTION (to ski, to brush);

  AGENT FOR ACTION (to butcher, to author)

• Production ICM

  e.g. AUTHOR FOR HIS/HER WORK (I am watching Cameron)

  PLACE FOR PRODUCT MADE THERE (Java, China)

• Possession ICM

  e.g. POSSESSOR FOR POSSESSED (This is Harry for 'Harry's drink)

Part and Part

Metonymy and synecdoche

Metonymy and synecdoche

1) We will swear loyalty to the crown.

2) It seems like people will do whatever Hollywood says is cool.

3) That fancy fish dish you made was the best of the evening.

Metonymy and synecdoche

​Synecdoche is a part of something and is used to represent the whole or whole signifies the part.

​1) All hands on deck.

2) Are you paying with plastic?

3) Pour me a glass of bubbly.

4) Do you want to go to the movies this weekend?

Metonymy and synecdoche

​Synecdoche is a part of something and is used to represent the whole or whole signifies the part.

​1) All hands on deck.

2) Are you paying with plastic?

3) Pour me a glass of bubbly.

4) Do you want to go to the movies this weekend?

Metonymy and synecdoche

(​Warren 1995: 301)

Metaphor

One conceptual domain is understood in terms of another conceptual domain.

This understanding is achieved by seeing a set of systematic correspondences, or mappings, between the two domains.

Conceptual metaphors can be given by means of the formula A is B or A as B, where A and B indicate different conceptual domains.

Metaphor

Conceptual domains =>

1) SOURCE DOMAINS
(the human body, health and illness, plants or animals ...)

2) TARGET DOMAINS
(emotions, desire, morality, thought ...)

SOURCE DOMAINS - less abstract/complex, helps to understand another conceptual domain

TARGET DOMAIN - more abstract/complex/subjective,

Metaphor

1) He had a head start in life.

2) The company is growing fast.

3) The time will come ...

Metaphor

1) He had a head start in life.

2) The company is growing fast.

3) The time will come ...

Metaphor

1) He had a head start in life.

(LIFE IS A JOURNEY)

2) The company is growing fast. (ORGANISATION IS A PLANT)

3) The time will come ...

(TIME IS MOTION)

Metaphor

​Metaphor substitutes a concept with another. Substitution is based on similarity. Expressions which transfer a word from one conceptual domain to another.

​1) Laughter is the best medicine.

2) The bad news shattered her.

3) He absorbed the information.

4) Life has cheated me.

5) Inflation is eating up our profits.

6) Speak up.

7) Wake up.

8) He is feeling low.

Metaphor

​1) _______________ of a department

2) _______________ of a table

3) _______________ of a river

4) _______________ of stone

5) have an _______________ for

6) rule of _______________

Metaphor

​1) HEAD of a department

2) LEG of a table

3) MOUTH of a river

4) HEART of stone

5) have an EYE for

6) rule of THUMB

Metaphor

​• The transference of terms from physical domain to the mental domain:

grasp an idea, get a joke…

• The use of animal terms to denote human beings:

a rat, a fox, a vixen…

Metaphor

The verb be selects subjects and objects with the same semantic features; thus, gem and Sun are incompatible with the verb and are read figuratively.)

​The noun is interpreted metaphorically:

Ralph is married to a gem. Juliet is the sun.

Personification

​Personification the rhetorical figure by which something not human is given a human identity.
(Melton and Ramakers 2016: 1)

Personification

​Personification the rhetorical figure by which something not human is given a human identity.
(Melton and Ramakers 2016: 1)

​Personification conceptual metaphors involve understanding nonhuman entities, or things, in terms of human beings. They thus impute human characteristics to things. Personification can be regarded as a type of ontological metaphor.
(Kovecses 2010: 328)

Personification

​1) THE STARS _______________ AT ME.

2) THE CAMERA _______________ HER.

3) THE SUN IS _______________ AT US.

4) THE TULIPS _______________ IN THE BREEZE.

5) THE FLOWERS _______________ FOR WATER.

6) THE WIND _______________ SOFTLY IN THE EARLY MORNING.

​Human attributes are associated with non-human or inanimate objects.

​BEG

​LOVE

​SMILE

​WHISPER

NOD

​WINK