Term lesson 19
Componential analysis
applied to terminology
Terminology method
componential analysis
• a method of semantic analysis
• modelled on phonology
– isolating the smallest units
• phonology : the phoneme (or phonetic feature)
• semantics : the seme (or semantic feature)
pioneered by
POTTIER B. (1992),
Sémantique générale. PUF
Componential analysis for siège
meuble
pour
s’asseoir
accoudoirs
dossier
pour une
personne
chaise
+
-
+
+
fauteuil
+
+
+
+
canapé +
+
+
-
tabouret +
-
-
+
implications
• Each semantic feature is made explicit
• by presence (+) or absence (-)
• The difference in meaning between words
can be expressed by these features
thus
• Chair is a piece of furniture to sit on [the shared
feature for all the words in the group] with a back,
without arms and for one person [distinctive
features]
• Stool is a piece of furniture to sit on without a back
or arms for one person
etc…
Problems?
• language specific
– can chairs have arms in English?
• only works for certain semantic fields
– footware, means of transport, etc.
• therefore not a very comprehensive method of
semantic analysis
• but particularly appropriate for regulated fields
(i.e. certain terminologies)
Using componential analysis for
terminology
• Certain fields of terminology can be
adequatedly analysed using componential
analysis
– Manufactured items
– Tertiary fields where categories are often
implicit
• such as insurance
Example: analysing the classes of
life insurance
• extract from a textbook used for first-year
students in insurance in Australia
Elements of Law and Insurance, Australian Insurance Institute
Insurances of the Person
There are three main types of cover which insure a person as
distinct from a person's property. In principle, these types of
insurance provide benefits in the advent of a person's retirement,
death or loss of income resulting from an accident or illness. More
specifically, the covers are as follows.
Life Insurance
The most basic contracts are: … “
Whole of life insurance
• The policy benefits of whole of life
insurance are payable on the death of the
life insured whenever this occurs.
Premiums are payable for the entire life or,
upon payment of an extra premium.
Premiums may cease at say 60 or 65
years, the age of retirement [sic].
Endowment insurance
• This is a combination of term insurance
and pure endowment, the policy proceeds
being payable upon the death of the life
insured within the specified period, or at
the end of that period, say ten, 15, 20, 25
or 30 years, if the life insured survives until
the end of the period.
Pure endowment insurance
• This is the same as endowment insurance
except that no death cover is provided. In
the event of the death of the person
insured before the policy term expires
there is usually a refund of premiums with
interest. This cover is normally used for
people who are not medically acceptable
for a cover which includes death.
Term insurance
• Under a term insurance policy the benefits
are payable upon the death of the life
insured, provided that death occurs within
a specified period. If the life insured
survives to the end of the period the cover
ceases and no benefits are payable.
Confused…?
• Each definition is drafted differently
• Understanding one definition may depend
on having understood the others
• Which information is necessary to
understand the difference between the
four sorts of life insurance listed?
• Which can be considered ‘background’
information?
Solution ?
• Componential analysis is your friend!
– Extract each feature from the definitions
– Find the common feature (which will be the
hyperonym)
– Find all the other features
– Determine by comparison which are defining
features and which are redundant.
Features of term insurance
• Under a term insurance policy the benefits are payable
upon the death of the life insured, provided that death
occurs within a specified period. If the life insured
survives to the end of the period the cover ceases and
no benefits are payable.
– semes/features:
•
•
•
•
a life insurance policy
benefits payable on death of insured
death must occur within specified period
if not, no benefits!
Features of whole of life insurance
• The policy benefits of whole of life insurance are payable
on the death of the life insured whenever this occurs.
Premiums are payable for the entire life or, upon
payment of an extra premium, premiums may cease at
say 60 or 65 years, the age of retirement.
– semes/features
• a life insurance policy ? (not stated explicitly)
•
•
•
•
benefits payable on death of insured
death can occur at any time
therefore there is always a payment of benefits
age(s) when paying premiums may cease
with componential analysis
LifeA death spec p
+
Whole +
Pure E +
Endowm+
Term
+
+
+/-
+
+
+/-
insured alive ?
+
+/-
premiums medical
?
?
Definitions derived from the table
• Term insurance
– life insurance (policy) which pays
benefits on the death of the insured
within a specified period
endowment
• life insurance which pays benefits if the
assured dies within a set period or at the
end of the same period if the insured is still
alive
pure endowment
• life insurance which provides benefits at
the end of a specified period, provided the
insured is still alive
whole of life
• life insurance (policy) which pays benefits
on the death of the insured, whenever this
occurs
Componential analysis
• helps us to
– understand the relations between concepts
– identify additional information necessary to
distinguish concepts
– draft immediately comparable definitions
– identify other features which may be relevant
in other contexts
• Eg. how and when premiums are paid for whole of
life insurance
Applying componential analysis to
Whole of life insurance
• Whole life insurance offers the policyholder a cash value
account and tax-deferred cash accumulation and pays a
death benefit directly to the named beneficiary. The
policy is in effect during the lifetime of the insured and
provides permanent security for all your dependents
while building a cash value account. […]
• There are several different types of whole policies. They
are as follows:
Single premium whole life
• Single premium whole life policy is when
the policyholder pays whole life premium
in one lump sum. The only benefit to this
policy is tax advantages. The regular life
policy grows in response to the interest
rate and the growth is then tax deferred. If
a client wants to shelter some money and
would want death benefits, the single
premium would be an excellent choice.
Continuous premium life
 Continuous premium life (aka straight
life) policy is the most common whole life
policies. This policy accumulates in cash
value and provides lifetime protection with
level premium payments up to the age of
100. This policy offers the lowest regular
premium cost among the permanent
policies.
Limited pay
• Limited-Pay policies are paid over a limited
period of time. Each type of plan is named after
the terms of the payment period (i.e., "20-Pay
Life," or "Life Paid-up at 65"). The payment
amounts are determined according to length of
the payment period. In addition, the insurer must
pay the full, insured amount to the beneficiary in
the event that the policyholder dies, even if the
insured has only made one payment to the
policy.
Current Assumption Whole Life
 Current Assumption Whole Life
 (aka Interest Sensitive Whole Life)
premium payments fluctuate according to
the current interest rates. The premiums
are adjusted upon renewal of the policy.
Preparing the analysis
1. All the forms of whole of life insurance
inherit all the features of the hyperonym.
2. The sub-classes all have additional
features.
3. Certain features distinguish the various
sub-classes.
4. These features should be expressed as
present or absent.
Distinguishing feature
• the premium
– Sum paid by the policyholder to the insurer in
return for cover
Two features relative to the premium are
mentioned…
which ones ?
When the premium is paid
• in a lump sum
• over the whole of the life
• over a set period
Is the premium
constant or variable?
for
• single premium
• continuous premium
• limited pay
– the premium is constant
for
• current assumption
– the premium is variable
Whole of life - features
WoL lumpS WoL SetP
single
+
continuous +
limited p +
current a +
+
-
+
+?
+
rate C
+
+
-
definitions
• single premium whole life insurance
– whole of life insurance for which the premium is paid
in one lump sum
• continuous premium whole life insurance
– whole of life insurance for which the premium is paid
over the whole period (or until the age of 100)
• limited pay insurance
– whole of life insurance for which the premium is paid
over a period defined in the policy
• current assumption insurance
– whole of life insurance for which the rate of the
premium is indexed on interest rates