Meaning and Lexical Semantics

Languages

a series of interrelated signs but every language is different.

Directional opposites

: matter of perspective from a single persons perspective.

Taxonomic sisterhood

: relationship of words at the same level (weiner, pug, doodle, golden= sisters)

Reference

the language by which language hooks onto the world.

physical form

Sign: complex understanding of the of a word in relationship to what the word means.

Partial synonyms

: meaning components are shared between lexical items, but theyre not the same.

Prototypes

play an important role in default reasoning.

Lexical Semantics

: meaning of words in isolation.

Hyponymy

: relationship of an item and its subsets.

directional movement

Reverse: along the continuum.

Gradable

: non- directional continuum of meaning.

particular context

Sense: one meaning of a sign in a(n) .

Meronymic relations

: conditioned by experience.

common world of discourse

The speaker can estimate what the speaker knows and assumes that they share a(n) .

Taxonomic levels

: speakers prefer to categorize reality at a basic level.

sign

complex understanding of the physical form of a word in relationship to what the word means

sense

one meaning of a sign in a particular context

Lexical Semantics

meaning of words in isolation

prototype theory

when speakers of a language acquire vocabulary for the first time, they adopt a mental prototype

partial synonyms

meaning components are shared between lexical items, but theyre not the same

antonyms

two expressions with opposing meanings

complementary

states of being

gradable

non-directional continuum of meaning

reverse

directional movement along the continuum

ascend

descend

converse

opposite meaning relationships based on the pov of the speaker / listener

im worker, you're boss (employee

employer

X lends Z to Y

Y borrows Z from X

directional opposites

matter of perspective from a single persons perspective

taxonomic levels

speakers prefer to categorize reality at a basic level

hyponymy

relationship of an item and its subsets

hyponyms

weiner, pug, doodle

hypernym

dog

taxonomic sisterhood

relationship of words at the same level (weiner, pug, doodle, golden = sisters)

meronymic relations

conditioned by experience