Connotative Meaning of a Word

Denotational and Connotational Meanings.

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.

The list of connotational meanings varies with different linguistic schools and individual scholars and includes such entries as

pragmatic (directed at the perlocutionary effect of utterance),

evaluative (stating the value of the indicated notion),

emotive (revealing the emotional layer of cognition and perception),

expressive (aiming at creating the image of the object in question),

stylistic (indicating “the register”, or the situation of the communication) and others.

Associative (connected through individual psychological or linguistic associations with related and non-related notions),

ideological, or conceptual (revealing political, social, ideological preferences of the user).

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