LINGUISTICS - S+P Word Meaning

What is linguistic meaning?

Refers to mental concepts which assign abstract properties to things

What is the Aristotelian Theory of concepts?

Set of properties that characterise all and only inclusive instances of the concept

^ but concepts cannot be captured by necessary and sufficient conditions ; very difficult to narrow things down enough to still be valid

What are Prototypes?

Concepts are created around prototypes

Learn from experience what a normal version of a thing is + so intuition of valid instances grows

Some instances can be more prototypical then another; eg Rosch’s questions

• which is the “best” fruit ; apple or fig

• which is the “best” bird ; robin or ostrich

What are concepts?

Relational

• Defined with reference to each other

  • Labov’s cup/mug/bowl/vase → part of a cup’s meaning is “not a mug, or bowl, or vase” ; learning how they relate to eachother

Colour terms

• people map them onto central regions of a space + defining them relative to each other

  • Convex regions are picked out of the colour space as a sort of prototype for that colour

  • when concepts meet in the middle, boundaries are defined

What are word meanings?

Intentions

Can distinguish intention from extension

However intentions don’t have to have extensions; eg Unicorns + Mermaids

Intentions == concepts

Extension == physical manifestations / extensions of intentions

Intention + Context = Extension

= Cannot identify meaning in terms of extensions, so have to rely on intentions for meaning

What is an Individual?

Specific Objects

Obama, London, a computer

Can have properties

What are Properties?

Can apply to many Individuals / shared characteristics

Being ex-president, American,

Meronymy

A part-whole relationship

• nose is a part of the face

• Finger is a part of the hand

Hyponymy

Word meaning is associated with more general concept

• Dog is a hyponym of animal

Hypernymy

Opposite of Hyponymy

animal is a hypernym of dog ; properties of thing

bigger concept is associated with a smaller concept