Phrase and Sentence MeaningExtension and Intension

Sense and Reference

Ratna Nurhidayati1211204101

Phrase and Sentence Meaning

The meaning of phrases or sentences depends on both the meaning of its words and how these words are structurally combined.

• Words are synonyms; sentences are paraphrases. • Words can be homonyms; sentences may be

ambiguous. • Words have opposites; sentences can be negated. • Words are used for naming purposes; sentences

can be used that way too. • Both words and sentences can be used to refer

to, or point out, objects; and both may have some further meaning beyond this referring capability.

Extension and Intension

Intension and Extension describe two ways of indicating the meaning of a word or name

“intension” indicates the internal content of a term or concept that constitutes its formal definition. (sense)

“extension” indicates its range of applicability by naming the particular objects that it denotes. (denotation)

• The extension of a general term is just the collection of individual things to which it is correctly applied. Thus, the extension of the word "chair" includes every chair that is (or ever has been or ever will be) in the world. The intension of a general term, on the other hand, is the set of features which are shared by everything to which it applies. Thus, the intension of the word "chair" is (something like) "a piece of furniture designed to be sat upon by one person at a time."

• Clearly, these two kinds of meaning are closely interrelated. We usually suppose that the intension of a concept or term determines its extension, that we decide whether or not each newly-encountered piece of furniture belongs among the chairs by seeing whether or not it has the relevant features. Thus, as the intension of a general term increases, by specifying with greater detail those features that a thing must have in order for it to apply, the term's extension tends to decrease, since fewer items now qualify for its application.

• Extension. The set of all things to which a word or phrase refers; also known as "denotation." The extension of "U.S. automotive producer" is "Chrysler, Ford, General Motors."

• Intension. The set of qualities of a thing that make a given word or phrase refer to it; also know as "sense" (and not to be confused with intention, what someone means to say or do). The intension of "U.S. automobile producer" is "a company engaged in manufacturing automobiles, with its corporate headquarters in the United States.

Example

• the intension of “ship” as a substantive is “vehicle for conveyance on water,” whereas its extension embraces such things as cargo ships, passenger ships, battleships, and sailing ships.

The distinction between intension and extension is not the same as that between connotation and denotation.

Sense and Reference

Sense

• Sense deals with relationships inside the language.

• Sense of an expression is its place in a system of semantic relationships with other expressions in the language.

Example of Sense

1. The example of sense in word-formGUILT• Blame, Culpability, Guiltiness, Iniquity, Wrong,

etc.• Feeling of shame for having done wrong, Fact

that somebody has done something illegal, Blame or responsibility for wrongdoing.

Example of Sense

2. The example of sense in phrase or sentenceA prisoner escaped from jail yesterday.• A prisoner ran away from the jail yesterday.• A prisoner got free from the jail yesterday.

Reference

• Reference deals with the relationship between language and the world.

• Reference is a relationship between parts of language and things outside the language (in the world).

Types of Reference

• Variable Referencea. One wordb. Many expressionsc. Refer to different type 0f that object• Constant Referencea. One wordb. Many expressionsc. Refer to the same thing

Example of Variable Reference

Example of constant reference

• AmericaAmerica has a real appearance and also can be

defined in other words or expressions.

Reference vs. Sense

• Reference ConcreteIt can be proved by the thing in the real world and only one step to prove it.

• Sense AbstractIt does not have a real object and we have to imagine and compare to our experience.

Every expression that has meaning has sense, but not every expression has reference!

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