Semantics December 21, 2016
Terminology and scope
Semantics is a level of linguistic analysis which studies meaning:
meaning of linguistic units (morphemes, words) relations between the meanings of linguistic units (lexical relations) ambiguities and semantic irregularities along with their lexical and/or morphosyntactic implicatuons
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Semantics is divided into lexical and sentential semantics.
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The former studies meanings of lexical units (words and set phrases), and the latter studies meanings of syntactic units (clauses and sentences).
Why study semantics? ď Ž
Semantics (as the study of meaning) is central to the study of communication.
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Semantics is also central to the study of the human mind - thought processes, cognition, conceptualization - all these are intricately bound up with the way in which we classify and convey our experience of the world through language.
Semantic relations between words include:
synonyms euphemisms homonyms antonyms hyponymy polysemy ...
For each group of words given below, state what semantic property or properties are shared by the (a) words and (b) words, and what semantic property or properties distinguish between the classes of (a) words and (b) words. I
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
a. widow, mother, sister, aunt, spinster b. widower, father, brother, uncle, tailor a. bachelor, man, son, paperboy, pope, chef b. bull, rooster, drake, ram a. pine, elm, weeping willow, sycamore b. rose, tulip, daisy, daffodil a. walk, run, skip, jump, hop, swim b. fly, skate, ski, ride, cycle, canoe, hang-glide a. tall, intelligent, handsome, stupid, evil b. nervous, scared, amused, tired, bored
Explain the semantic ambiguity of the following sentences by providing two sentences that paraphrase the two meanings. II
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
She can't bear children. He waited by the bank. Is he really that kind? It takes a good ruler to make a straight line. He saw that gasoline can explode.
III The following sentences are ambiguous when written. After figuring out the ambiguity, circle the letter of the ones that can be disambiguated in speech by special intonation or pauses. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
The lamb is too hot to eat. Old men and women will be served first. Kissing girls is what Stephen likes best. They are moving sideways. Becky left directions for Jack to follow. John loves Richard more than Martha.
 IV There are several kinds of antonymy. Indicate whether the following pairs are complementary, gradable, or relational antonyms.
 1. good bad 2. expensive cheap 3. parent offspring 4. beautiful ugly 5. false true 6. pass fail 7. hot cold 8. legal illegal 9. poor rich 10. large small 11. fast slow 12. husband wife 13. teacher student 14. asleep awake 15. dead alive 16. rude polite 17. intelligent stupid 18. interviewer interviewee 19. tall short 20. brother sister
V Provide context the following spatial antonyms, and define the dimensions to which they refer.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
long : short far : near tall : short high : low deep : shallow wide : narrow thick : thin
VI
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
Provide two different contexts for the following homophones:
air/heir groan/grown might/mite pane/pain pray/prey right/rite/write sent/scent steak/stake tire/tyre weather/whether waist/waste scene/seen place/plaice fare/fair grate/great aloud/allowed
VII Homophones and homographs are at the root of many jokes in English. Match the first part of each of these children's jokes with the second part and then explain the play on words involved in each. 1.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
What did the big chimney say to the little chimney? What did one lift say to the other lift? What did the south wind say to the north wind? Why did the man take his pencil to bed? Why is history the sweetest lesson? Why can't steam engine sit down? What's pale and trembles at the bottom of the sea?
a) b) c) d) e) f) g)
Because it's got a tender behind. I think I'm going down with something. A nervous wreck. He wanted to draw the curtains. Because it's full of dates. Let's play draughts. You're too young to smoke.