- The document discusses semantics and how meaning is derived from words, concepts, and objects in the real world. It explores different theories of word meaning, including referential semantics which relates words to objects, and lexical semantics which relates words to other words. The document also discusses semantic fields which group related words together, and componential analysis which breaks down meaning into semantic primitives or features.
8. SNAIL
• The word “snail”
• Your idea of “snail”
• A picture of the snail
• The actual snail
9. Signs
• A word is a sign (Form: letters or sound)
• Meaning: your idea
• A picture is a sign (Form: lines, color etc)
• An actual, real thing in the world
67. Unicorn
• The word unicorn (Form: writing or sound)
• Your idea of unicorn (meaning)
• A picture of a unicorn (Form: a picture)
• An actual unicorn (a real thing in the world)
128. Strongly connected with language-
learning
• What is meaning in the mind?
• What happens when we communicate?
• What happens in our brains when we say a
sentence?
• What happens in our brains when we
understand a sentence?
• How do children acquire meaning?
136. What are our goals?
• Describe words and sentences in isolation and
in context.
• Explain why these meanings are different in
different situations.
• Give a clear explanation of complex meanings.
140. If you are from Fujiyoshida, maybe this
image
141. Hospital frame
• Other ideas come with the word
• You go to hospital when you’re sick
• Or you have an accident
• You have to be admitted
• You probably have to give the hospital workers
your insurance card
• The doctor examines you and gives you
information
• You probably have to pay money when you finish
142. Breaking the frame
• The doctor gives YOU his medical insurance
card!
• You examine a nurse!
143. Restaurant frame (for a customer)
• Wait to get seated
• Waiter shows you to your seat
• You look at the menu
• You order food and drink
• You wait for it to arrive
• You eat it
• You pay for it
147. Unicorn frame
• Single horn on head
• Looks like a white horse
• Not real
• Appears in stories
148. Breaking the frame
• A unicorn comes into class!
• A unicorn eats your textbook!
149. Banana
• Breakfast food
• Convenient
• Snack food
• Thick skin
• Can’t eat the skin
• Yellow
• If it’s black, it’s not good
150. Personal computer
• On your desk
• Or maybe you carry it around
• Expensive purchase
• Use it for the internet
• Communication
• Old people usually can’t use it well
151. Pokemon Go
• People walking around looking at their mobile
phones
• Mentioned on the news
• Some kind of game, or something
152. Volcano
• Can be dangerous
• Eruptions
• Be careful
• Maybe tourist attractions
153. Cinema
• Seeing a movie
• In a building
• Pay money to enter
• Dark
• Big screen
• Popcorn
184. What kind of things can be Semantic
Primitives?
• Must be binary
• What does that mean?
• It means on or off
• It means yes or no
• It means + or -
185. What is a bad Semantic Feature?
• Number of fingers
• Yes or no
• What?
186. What kind of things can be Semantic
Primitives?
• Must apply to ALL the world’s cultures
187. What is a bad Semantic Feature?
• Tatami
• Why is it bad?
• Because it does not apply to ALL the world’s
cultures