lecture8-Meaning-and-Context

Lecture8MeaningandContextOverviewTwotypesofcontextsThevitalroleofcontextindeterminationofwordmeaningSuggestedWaysfortheCorrectComprehensionofWordMeaningDevelopmentoftheabilitytodeterminethemeaningofawordfromitscontextWarming-up!Whatisthemeaningofthefollowingsentence?Thisisadifficultoperation.Thedoctorwillperformanoperationonherforadiseasedlung.Theskillfuloperationofthismachineishardtolearn.Thearmy’soperationinthatcountrywereverysuccessful.MeaningandContextTwotypesofcontextsLinguisticcontextNon-linguisticcontextThreefunctionsofcontextEliminatingambiguityIndicationofreferentsConveyingemotionalovertonesContextNomatterhowmanymeaningsawordmayhave,therewillbenoriskofmisunderstanding,whenitoccursinaparticularcontext.Thenwhatisacontext?TwotypesofcontextsThemeaningsofwords,especiallythoseofpolysemouswordsmaybeviewedasdeterminedeitherbylinguistic(verbal)contextsorextra-linguistic(non-verbal)contexts.Linguistic(verbal)context(言语)Extra-linguistic(non-verbal)context(非言语）TwotypesofcontextsLinguisticcontextreferstowords,clauses,sentences,paragraphs,orwholebooksinwhichawordappears.Extra-linguisticcontextreferstoaparticulartime,space,orcultureinwhichawordappears.LinguisticcontextLinguisticcontextcanbefurtherdividedintoLexicalcontextGrammaticalcontextVerbalcontextinitsbroadsenseLexicalcontext:thelexemesthatco-occurwiththewordinquestion.Themeaningofthewordisaffectedordeterminedbytheneighboringlexemes.Example:paperTheword“paper”hasanumberofmeaningsinthedictionary,butineachofthefollowingcontext,itconveysonlyonemeaning.asheetofpaperawhitepaperatermpapertoday’spaperexaminationpaperItisobviousthatthemainreasonforbringingoutthisorthatmeaningoftheword“paper”isthespecificwordswhichtheword“paper”iscombinedwith.GrammaticalcontextInsomecases,themeaningofapolysemouswordmaybedeterminedbythegrammaticalstructure(notspecificwords)inwhichitoccurs.get+NP:getabigapple;getaninterestingbookget+AP:getveryangry;getincrediblycoldget…todo…:Igothimtodothejob.get+ING:Getgoing!receivebecomecausestartVerbalcontextinitsbroadsenseInadditiontolexicalandgrammaticalcontext,theverbalcontext,initsbroadsense,maycoveranentirepassage,orevenanentirebook,andeveninsomecasestheentiresocialorculturalsetting.Example1“Howdoesit?”askedCaptainCuttle.‘Allwell,’saidMr.Gills,pushingthebottletowardshim.Hetookitup,andhavingsurveyedandsmeltit,saidwithextraordinaryexpression:‘THE?’‘THE.’returnedtheinstrumentmaker.Uponthathewhistledashefilledhisglass,andseemedtothinkthattheyweremakingaholidayindeed.---DombeyandSonTHE:madeira,atypeofstrongwhitewineproducedintheislandofMadeira.Example2Somechicken,someneck!---WinstonChurchillInthreeweeksEnglandwillhaveherneckwrunglikeachicken.---HitlerIt’sadifficultjobtodealwiththeBritishchickenandtheBritishneck.Extra-linguisticcontextTheactualspeechsituationreferstothesituationinwhichawordisused.Ineverydaylife,wordmeaningismoreoftendependentontheactualsituationinwhichawordisused.Example:operationExample:John’sreallyquick.Johnisarunner.Theteachertoldajoke,andthenallthestudentsbutJohnlaughed.ThenJohnlaughed.Thenoneofthestudentssays:John’sreallyquick.(quickisusedironicallytomeantheoppositeslow).Extra-linguisticcontextTheextra-linguisticcontextmayextendtoincludetheentireculturalbackground.tradeunionOrganizationofworkersformedtofightfortheirinterestsagainsttheemployers.gonghuiOrganizationofworkersundertheleadershipofParty.Nofighting!Nonegotiating!Moreexamples:peasantvs.农民English:definitelyderogatoryasmallfarmer,pooranduneducatedEuropeans:neutraloneofchiefEuropeansclassthatsoilassmalllandownersorhiredlabors.liberalismvs.自由主义English:favorableconnotationChinese:derogatoryBecauseofculturaldifferences,thesamelexicalitemmaynotmeanthesamethingtopeopleofdifferentcountries.Examplesofdifferencesofwordmeaningduetoculturaldifferencesarenumerous.Thesedifferencesareimportantfornon-nativespeakerstoknowinordertogainabetterunderstandingoftheculturalsignificanceofEnglishvocabulary.Theimportanceofcontextin…EliminatingambiguityConveyingemotionalovertonesIndicatingreferentsandtherangeofthemeaningofawordEliminatingambiguityAmbiguityreferstoaword,aphrase,asentencewithmorethanonepossiblemeaning.Ambiguitymaybecausedbydifferentthings.Polysemymaycauseambiguity.Marybakedabirthdaycakeforhermother.Homonymymaycauseambiguity.Theballwasattractive.Grammaticalstructuremaycauseambiguity.Visitingrelativesmaybeboring.鸡不吃了。Jibuchile.ChickNegeatAux‘Thechickendoesnoteat.’‘Idon’teatchickenanymore.’约翰拔了三颗蛀牙。Yuehanbalesankezhuya.Johnpull-outAuxthreeCLrottentooth‘Johnpulledoutthreerottenteeth.’‘Johngotthreerottenteethpulledout.’EliminatingambiguityThedamagewasdonebytheriver.Theballwasattractive.Visitingrelativesmaybeboring.鸡不吃了。约翰拔了三颗蛀牙。Ambiguityveryoftendisappearsincontexts,linguisticorextra-linguistic.Thecontextoftenmakestheambiguousmeaningsocertainthatwedonotthinkofthefactthatthewordorthestructurehasdifferentmeanings.Indicationofreferents:contextscanhelpidentifythereferentsofpronouns.Betty,MaryandAliceareclassmates.BettytoldMarythatAli