Chapter5Meaning_英语语言学概论

1ChapterFiveMeaning21.TheStudyofMeaningSemantics语意学:thestudyofmeaning英文semantics来自希腊语semantikos，意思是significant(有意义)。是研究语言意义的科学。Linguisticsemantics:thestudyofthemeaningoflinguisticunits,wordsandsentencesinparticularThemeaningofwords:LexicalsemanticsThemeaningofsentences:Propositionalmeaning,compositionalmeaning语篇意义Themeaningofutterances:Pragmatics3Meaninghasalwaysbeenacentraltopicinhumanscholarship.Meaninghasbeenstudiedforthousandsofyearsbyphilosophers,logiciansandlinguists,e.g.Plato&Aristotle.4Logiciansandphilosophershavetendedtoconcentrateonarestrictedrangeofsentences(typically,statements,or‘propositions’)withinasinglelanguage.Thelinguisticapproachisbroaderinscope,aimingtostudythepropertiesofmeaninginasystematicandobjectiveway,withreferencetoaswidearangeofutterancesandlanguagesaspossible.52.ThemeaningofMEANINGTheword“meaning”hasdifferentmeanings.C.K.Ogden&I.A.Richards(1923).TheMeaningofMeaning.Johnmeanstowrite.Agreenlightmeanstogo.6Healthmeanseverything.Hislookwasfullofmeaning.7Whatisthemeaningoflife?8Whatdoes‘capitalist’meantoyou?9Whatdoes‘cornea’mean?Thetransparent,convex,anteriorportionoftheouterfibrouscoatoftheeyeballthatcoverstheirisandthepupilandiscontinuouswiththesclera.10GeoffreyLeech(1974,1981).Semantics:TheStudyofMeaningSeventypesofmeaning:Conceptualmeaning概念意义Connotativemeaning内涵意义SocialmeaningAffectivemeaning感情意义Reflectedmeaning联想意义Collocativemeaning搭配意义Thematicmeaning主谓意义AssociativeMeaning11(1)Conceptualmeaning概念意义Alsocalled‘denotative’or‘cognitive’meaning.Referstological,cognitive认知的ordenotative指示的content.Concernedwiththerelationshipbetweenawordandthethingitdenotes,orrefersto.12(2)Connotativemeaning内涵意义Thecommunicativevalueanexpressionhasbyvirtueof借助whatitrefersto,overandaboveitspurelyconceptualcontent.Amultitudeofadditional,non-criterialproperties,includingnotonlyphysicalcharacteristicsbutalsopsychologicalandsocialproperties,aswellastypicalfeatures.13Involvingthe‘realworld’experienceoneassociateswithanexpressionwhenoneusesorhearsit.Unstable:theyvaryconsiderablyaccordingtoculture,historicalperiod,andtheexperienceoftheindividual.Anycharacteristicofthereferent,identifiedsubjectivelyorobjectively,maycontributetotheconnotativemeaningoftheexpressionwhichdenotesit.14(3)Socialmeaning社会意义Whatapieceoflanguageconveysaboutthesocialcircumstancesofitsuse.Dialect:thelanguageofageographicalregionorofasocialclass.Time:thelanguageofthe18thc.,etc.Province:languageoflaw,ofscience,ofadvertising,etc.Status:polite,colloquial,slang,etc.Modality:languageofmemoranda,lectures,jokes,etc.Singularity:thestyleofDickens,etc.15domicile:veryformal,officialresidence:formalabode:poetichome:generalsteed:poetichorse:generalnag:slanggee-gee:babylanguage16ThefiveclocksbyMartinJoosFrozenFormalConsultativeCasualIntimateFormal------------------------------Informal17(4)Affectivemeaning感情意义Reflectingthepersonalfeelingsofthespeaker,includinghisattitudetothelistener,orhisattitudetosomethingheistalkingabout.I’mterriblysorrytointerrupt,butIwonderifyouwouldbesokindastoloweryourvoicesalittle.orWillyoubeltup.18‘Colorful’meaningCommendatory赞赏的tough-mindedresolute,firmshrewdchildlikewisemanmanofunusualtalentportly,stout,solid,plumslender,slimDerogatory贬损的ruthlessobstinatesly,craftychildishwiseguyfreakfleshy,fat,tubbylean,skinny,lanky,weedy,scraggy19(5)Reflectedmeaning反射意义Arisesincasesofmultipleconceptualmeaning,whenonesenseofawordformspartofourresponsetoanothersense.Whenyouhear‘clickthemousetwice’,youthinkofGerrybeinghittwicebyTomsoyoufeelexcited.Manytabootermsareresultofthis.20(6)Collocativemeaning搭配意义Theassociationsawordacquiresonaccountofthemeaningsofwordswhichtendtooccurinitsenvironment.pretty:girl,woman,flower,garden,colour,village,etc.handsome:boy,man,car,vessel,overcoat,airliner,typewriter,etc.21(7)Thematicmeaning主位意义Whatiscommunicatedbythewayinwhichaspeakerorwriterorganizesthemessage,intermsofordering,focus,andemphasis.MrsBessieSmithdonatedthefirstprize.ThefirstprizewasdonatedbyMrsBessieSmith.223.Thereferentialtheory指称论Thereferentialtheory:Thetheoryofmeaningwhichrelatesthemeaningofawordtothethingitrefersto,orstandsfor,isknownasthereferentialtheory.Words→Meaning:Words‘name’or‘referto’things--Platonic古希腊哲学家柏拉图认为语言形式是语言中的一个词，语义是它所代表、所指示、所表示的世界上的实体——指称（referent）。比如dog这个词代表了属于这一类的实体。ThemostinfluentiallinguistNoamChomskyteachesatMIT.23Problemwiththistheory:themeaningofdesk:Whenweexplainthemeaningofdeskbypointingtothethingitrefersto,wedonotmeanadeskmustbeoftheparticularsize,shape,colorandmaterialasthedeskwearepointingtoatthemomentofspeaking.Weareusingthisparticulardeskasanexample,aninstance,ofsomethingmoregeneral.Thereissomethingbehindtheconcretethingwecanseewithoureyes.Andthatsomethingisabstract,whichhasnoexistenceinthematerialworldandcanonlybesensedinourminds.Thisabstractthingisusuallycalledconcept(概念）.244.Thesemantictriangle语义三角Words→Concepts→Things:Ogden&Richardsthought/concept/sensesymbolizesreferstosymbolreferent(word)standsfor(object)25Richardsi