Denotational and Connotational Meanings

Disgusting

Sweet

Meaning From a Stylistic Point of View.

Lecture 2

Stylistics is a domain where meaning assumes paramount importance. This is because of the fact that any stylistic device is mainly realized when a twofold application of meaning is apparent.

Thus e.g., irony is defined as the clash of two diametrically opposite meanings (primary dictionary and contextual).

e.g. Stoney smiled the sweet smile of an alligator. (J. Steinbeck)

It is more or less universally recognized that word-meaning is not homogeneous, but is made up of various components. These components are usually described as types of meaning. The two main types are

• The grammatical and

• the lexical meanings.

If we consider such word-forms as girls, winters, tables, etc. we notice that they though denoting widely differing objects of reality have something in common. This common element is the grammatical meaning of plurality.

Comparing word-forms of one and the same word we observe that besides grammatical meaning, there is another component of meaning in them. Unlike the grammatical meaning this component is identical in all the forms of the word.

Thus, e.g., the word-forms go, goes, went, gone, going possess different grammatical meanings of tense, person, etc. but in each of these forms we find one and the same semantic component denoting the process of movement. This is the lexical meaning of the word.

Proceeding with the semantic analysis we observe that lexical meaning is not homogeneous either and may be analysed as including denotational and connotational components.

One of the basic functions of words is to denote things, concepts, phenomena, thus the word has a denotational meaning, i.e. that component of the lexical meaning which makes communication possible. Denotation conveys the primary, basic information. It informs of the subject of communication.

But apart from their basic, conceptual meaning – denotation – words may have various additional meanings collectively known as connotation or overtone. It is also known as stylistic colouring. It informs about the participants, conditions of communication, etc.

The difference between denotation and connotation can be explained in the following way.

1. Let’s take fragrance, reek, odor

2. and consider and translate them.

3. What do they all denote? What common meaning do they have?

4. Is there any difference?

5. If you like the smell which word will you choose?

6. If the smell is one and the same and you call it “fragrance”, while I call it “reek” that means that connotations convey not only the information about the subject, but also the information of those who speak.

R.M. Eastman explains the difference between denotation and connotation in the following way: ”You might speak of the “fragrance of a certain perfume if you liked it, of its “reek” if you didn’t, or simply “odor” if you didn’t care.

These variants illustrate the principle that words refer not only to things but to the user’s own feelings (and the feelings he wishes his audience to share).

“Fragrance”, “reek”, “odor” all denote “smell”. But “fragrance” connotes the speaker’s approval of the smell, “reek” connotes his revulsion, and “odor” in this context carries no connotation at all”. We see that Eastman does not distinguish any components in connotation but merely regards it as a word’s emotional content. In Soviet stylistics, however, connotation is regarded as a complex phenomenon by most of the researchers.

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