Types of meaning

Different approaches to meaning.

Semantics is a branch of linguistics that deals ____________________________.

Nowadays linguists prefer the term semasiology. The main objects of semasiological study are as follows: _________________________________________, its causes and classification, _________________________________________, polysemy and semantic structure of words, semantic grouping and connections in the vocabulary system (i.e. synonyms, antonyms, terminological systems, etc.).

The meaning of the word can be defined as the ____________________________

________________________________________________________________________.

There are 2 linguistic schools that deal with the definition of the word meaning: _____________________approach and _____________________approach.

Representatives of the first school take into consideration three components that are closely connected to the meaning of the word. The best known referential model of meaning is the so-called “basic triangle” worked out by C.K. Ogden and I.A. Richards in their book “The Meaning of Meanings”:

Thought of reference

symbol referent (thing)

The ___________ is a linguistic element – a lexical item, a word as a combination of sounds and morphemes, a word-combination, a sentence, an utterance. The ______________is an object of our experience, a fact of the outer world which is encompassed by a given symbol. And the ____________________________is the concept, the permanent bond or association in our mind that mirrors the referent as a generalised entity, or in other words, provides for our understanding of it. The dotted line between the sound-form and the referent suggests that there is no immediate _____________ between word and referent: it is established only through the concept. But the common feature of any referential approach is the implication that meaning is in some form or other connected with the referent.

Representatives of the second approach to the word meaning understand meaning as a function of a linguistic unit. They consider meaning as a relation of sign to sign. In their opinion the meaning of the linguistic unit should be studied through its relation to other linguistic units.

It is generally accepted that the meaning of the word is made up of two main types of components: ________________ meaning and ___________________ meaning.

The ________________ meaning of the word is the expression in speech the relationship between words based on contrastive features of arrangements in which they are used.

The ___________________ of the word is a material content of a word marked in accordance with the grammatical laws of a given language and is an element of the general semantic system of the language.

The question of types of lexical meaning is very disputable. Linguists have not accepted a general or complete scheme of types of lexical meanings. They investigate different aspects of lexical meanings and on account of this they use different terms.

First of all they distinguish between

- __________________________ lexical meaning, when the word names an object taken in isolation not in a given context

- _________________ meaning when the object is named and at the same time is characterised through its similarity or contiguity with another object.

Academician Vinogradov V.V. distinguishes between:

1) ____________________________________________ - it is directed towards phenomena, objects, actions, qualities, including the inner life of a man

2) _____________________________________________ – determined by the inner laws of a lexical system. They exist only in the composition of the phraseological units and are historically conditioned.

Many words have no nominative meanings and exist only in phraseological units, because L is the product of different epocs.

to be on the teahooks - to be in the state of impatience, uncertainty

3) _______________________________ lexical meanings – is realised in a word when it is used in a certain syntactic function in a sentence: ill tongue – to be ill, ill feeling, ill taste

4) _______________________________ lexical meaning – determined by the stable structure of the semantic groups the word is combined with: to make a dress, to make a mistake, to make a teacher, to make smb. happy

The lexical meaning of the word has 2 components:

- ________________ (serves to identify and name the concept; it makes communication possible)

- ________________ (serves to evoke or directly express emotions and refer words to different styles of speech).

There are four main types of connotations: stylistic, emotional, evaluative and expressive/intensifying.

- ______________ connotation is what the word conveys about the speaker’s attitude to the social circumstances and the appropriate functional style (slay vs kill).

- _______________ connotation conveys the speaker’s emotions (mummy vs mother).

- _________________ connotation may show the speaker’s approval or disapproval of the object spoken of (clique vs group).

- The degree of intensity (adore vs love) is conveyed by _______________________ connotation.

The connotative component in its turn has 2 elements: the emotive charge and stylistic reference.

The ______________________ of the word is its capacity to evoke or directly express emotions (both positive and negative; e.g. respect, irony, admiration.

The _____________________ of the word is its capacity to be used in a definite style of speech.

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