Semantics
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Semantics-concerned with the investigation
of meaning in a language without any
reference to the context of situation
The study of linguistic meaning of
morphemes, words, phrases and sentences is
the field of semantics.
Linguistic semantics deals with the
conventional meaning conveyed by the use
of words, phrases and sentences of a
language.
Subfields of semantics:
 Lexical semantics
 Sentential semantics
 Lexical semantics: Concerned with the
meaning of words and the meaning
relations among words and phrases.
 Sentential semantics: concerned with the
meaning of syntactic units larger than the
word
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Collocative meaning:
 Linguistic communication includes the
communication of something which tends
to occur in the context of another word,
it is known as collocative meaning.
 For exp: Pretty and handsome, share
common ground in the meaning but can
be distinguished by the range of nouns.
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Types of meaning
Conceptual meaning: Logical, cognitive and denotive
content or briefly ‘sense’ is believed to play the central role
in linguistic communication. This type of meaning is labeled
‘conceptual meaning’.
 This type indicate that the structure lie at the foundation of
all linguistic patterning.
 The principal of contractiveness and structure represent the
way language is organized respectively on the paradigm or
vertical and syntagmatic or horizontal axes of linguistic
structure.
 For the analysis of any sentence we need to establish a
phonological, syntactic and semantic representation and the
stages by which one level of representation can be derived
from another.
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Connotative Meaning:
A meaning of meaning can be what is
communicated by virtue of what language refers
to.
 Connotative meaning first be considered to be
related with real world experience one associates
with an expression when one uses or hears it.
 Connotative meaning is compared with
conceptual meaning since convocations
considerably according to culture, historical
period and the experience of the individual.
 This type of meaning is open ended just like our
knowledge about the universe is open ended.
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Social meaning: In linguistic
communication, the context of situation
in which language is used performs a
crucial role. Social meaning is based on
situation of the society.
 Crystal and Davy have recognized several
dimensions of socio-stylistic variation:
dialect time,province,status,modality and
singularity.
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Hyponyms: Some words or terms are
used to refer to classes, groups, types and
the like. Each class, groups, types, kinds
and the like. Each class, group, type or
kind possesses some members.
 Some items are included in one item.
 A hyponym is a word whose meaning is
encompassed by the meaning of the other
word.
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Homonyms: The words which are
pronounced and written in the same way,
but convey different meanings. For exp:
Lie-Please lie down.
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Don’t lie, tell the truth.
 Homophones: words that are
pronounced in the same way, but written
differently and often have different
meanings. For exp: no and know, so and
sew
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Prototypes: The idea of characteristic
instances of the category is known as the
prototype.
 The concept of prototype helps to
explain the meaning of certain words.
 Polysemy: When we encounter two or
more words with the same form or
related meanings then it is polysemy.
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Synonyms: When a word posses the same
or nearly the same meaning as another
word, it is called a synonyms.
 Antonyms: Two forms with different
meanings are called antonyms.
 Antonyms are divided into two main types,
gradable and non- gradable.
 Exp:I am bigger than you and she is smaller
than you( Gradable)
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My grandfather is not alive,(my
grandfather is dead-non gradable)
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