Dr. Bill
Vicars
Lifeprint.
com
ASL
Linguistics:
Semantics
What is
the sign
for
NAME?
What is
the sign
for
ROME?
LIS = Italian
Sign
Language
Lingua dei
Segni Italiana
Meaning
is
determined
by…
…a
specific
community
of users.
Determine
d =
decided
= agreed
Dictionary
problem:
Same
sign /
different
glosses
Can you think
of any signs
that have more
than one
English
interpretation?
Lets
discuss
types of
meaning…
3 types
of
meaning
…
Referential
Social
Affective
Referential
meaning
…
idea,
thing,
state of
affairs
CAT = 4
legs, tail,
whiskers,
etc.
The "cat"
is a
referent of
the sign
CAT.
REFER =
NAME(verb)
REFER =
LABEL
-
Social
Meaning
…
Sign
choices
reveal
social
information
where
from
male or
female
African
American
or
Caucasian
example:
AWFUL
Affective
Meaning
…
Sign
choices
reflect
your…
feelings,
attitudes,
opinions
Example:
"fascinating
research"
vs…
"boring
old
project"
Shows
your
attitude
affective
=
feelings
Referential
meaning
= What
Social
meaning
= Who
Affective
meaning
=
How feel
Referential
meaning =
denotation
Social and
Affective
meaning =
Connotation
Example:
“dEAF” =
denotation
Example:
DEAF =
connotation
What is a
lexicon?
A set of
words
known by
users of a
language.
Lexicon
=
Vocabulary
set
What is a
Lexical
item?
A word
(or sign).
The study of
semantics
includes
considering
…
Relationships of
meaning
between
“lexical items”
(words or
signs)
Ways
words are
related in
meaning
Will
teach
you six
ways.
Consider:
APPLE
& CAR
APPLE
& CAR
Are not
related
Consider:
BLUE RED
YELLOW
GREEN
ORANGE
PURPLE
…are
types of
what?
COLOR
BLUE, RED,
etc. have a
relationship
with
COLOR
That
relationship
is called:
1. Hyponymy
BLUE, RED,
YELLOW,
etc. are
hyponyms
COLOR is
a
hypernym
Example:
Sign
Language:
ASL, LSF,
LIS, LSQ
“hyper”
means
“over” or
above.
Is "RED"
a color?
Duh.
I have a
point.
Consider:
HAND
& ARM
Is a
HAND
an ARM?
We are
not
discussing
hyponymy.
New type
of
meaning
…
The
relationship
between a
hand and an
arm is a:
2.
Part/Whole
Relationship
Another
example:
PHONOLOGY
and
LINGUISTICS
Note…
RED is a
type of
color…
HAND is
a part of
an arm.
Phonology
is not a
type of
linguistics.
Phonology
is a part of
linguistics.
So far we’ve
talked about
what two types
of relationships
between signs?
1. Hyponymy
2. Part/Whole
New
relationship…
Consider:
soda
& pop
sofa &
couch
Two words
that mean
the same
thing are…
Synonyms
3. Synonymy
Consider
however:
“Denotative
Synonymy”
means …
“Refer to
the same
thing.”
Two signs can
denote (or refer to)
the same thing but
have a different
connotation (social
or affective
meaning).
Can have
different
connotative
meaning.
Connotatively
not
synonymous
Connotative
= social and
affective
Connotative
= who &
how feel
DEAF ("index" hand)
& DEAF (A-5 hand) are
denotatively similar
(synonymy) but
connotatively dissimilar.
DEAF ("index" hand)
& DEAF (A-5 hand) both
refer to the concept of
“not hearing” but the
two signs are different
in terms of WHO uses
them and HOW the user
feels about being “Deaf.”
Are BED &
#BED an
example of
Synonymy
????
Maybe at a
basic
referential
level.
But they tend
to be used
differently in
actual
conversation.
BED & #BED are
not synonymous
at the sentence
or conversation
level.
That means
not
synonymous at
the
"discourse"
level.
“Discourse"
tends to mean
the use of
sentences or
having a
conversation.
Can you think of
another pair of
ASL lexicon that
has sign version
and a lexicalized
fingerspelling
version?
CAR and
#CAR
BUSY and
#BUSY
EARLY
and
#EARLY
So far we’ve
talked about
what three
types of
relationships
between signs?
1.
2.
3.
1. Hyponymy
2. Part/Whole
3. Synonymy
New
relationship…
Consider:
LARGE
and
SMALL
They are
opposite
in
meaning.
4. Antonymy
= opposites
There are
two types
of
Antonymy
Gradable
& Nongradable
Gradable
= levels,
degrees,
relative
Example:
LARGER
vs
SMALLER
Nongradable =
one or the
other but
not both
Example:
PREGNANT
ALIVE or
DEAD
Gradable:
English
uses
“-er"
Gradable:
ASL often
uses
"depiction"
Example:
"LIMO"
vs V W
Bug
THICK
BOOK vs
THICKER
BOOK
ASL
Gradation
may also
use…
Nonmanual
signals
ex: pursed
lips / cha.
and
structure
changes,
ex:
LIMO
moves
hands
further.
Consider:
GOOD &
BAD
English
GOOD/BAD
phonological
forms
different
ASL
GOOD/BAD
phonological
forms
similar
Reversal of
orientation
for
antonymy
Examples
…
LIKE
DON'TLIKE
WANT
DON'TWANT
KNOW
DON'TKNOW
1.
2.
3.
4.
1. Hyponymy
2. Part/Whole
3. Synonymy
4. Antonymy
New
Relationship
…
Consider:
WIFE &
HUSBAND
TEACHER
STUDENT
AUNT
NIECE
5.
Converseness
Converseness
is sort of
similar to
antonymy
Converseness
happens in
pairs
often
phonologically
similar
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1. Hyponymy
2. Part/Whole
3. Synonymy
4. Antonymy
5. Converseness
New
relationship
…
6. Metaphor
Metaphor =
extension
of meaning
Consider:
Orientational
Metaphor
example…
DEPRESSED
TIRED
THRILLED
HAPPY
Up =
positive
meaning
Down =
negative
meaning
Up =
present
(APPEAR
)
Down =
absent
(DISAPPEAR)
-
Ontological
means …
... relating
to or based
upon being
or
existence.
The
iconic
nature of
ASL …
is
ontological
Signs
(often)
look-like
what they
are.
A sign
often
looks
like…
…someth
ing that
exists.
The sign
ANALYSIS
is …
mapped
to the
sign
DIGGING
…
which is
mapped
to …
the real
life act of
digging.
Ontological
metaphors
treat
abstract…
entities
states and
events as if
they were
objects.
"Digging
into your
psyche."
"FALLINTO an
area of
interest"
"HOLDONTO
that
idea"
-
Structural
Metaphor:
Treat abstract
concepts in
terms of a
more concrete
concept.
"Time is
money."
ASL ex:
TIME"run out
of"
-
Metaphor:
1. Orientational
2. Ontological
3. Structural
4.
4.
Families
of signs
What signs
can you do
with an
open-8
handshape?
FEEL
EXCITE
DEPRESS
PITY
SICK
SENSITIVE
…other
example
…
Can you think
of some
signs that
seem related
to “NOT”?
DENY
REFUSE
BLAME
SUFFER
Metaphor:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Metaphor:
1. Orientational
2. Ontological
3. Structural
4. Sign Families
There are
more types
of meaning.
Today we’ve
discussed six.
What are the
six types of
word “meaning
relationships”?
1. Hyponymy
2. Part/Whole
3. Synonymy
4. Antonymy
5. Converseness
6. Metaphor
Here is a
way to
remember
those:
CHAMPS
Dr. Bill
Vicars
Lifeprint.
com