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Semantics: “Why do we have noses that run and feet that smell?” Author Unknown
“Intoxicated? The word did not express it by a mile. He was oiled, boiled, fried, plastered, whiffled, sozzled, and blotto.” (P.G. Wodehouse, Meet Mr. Mulliner)
“Language... has created the word "loneliness" to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word "solitude" to express the glory of being alone.” (Paul Tillich, American theologian and philosopher.)
Figurative Language
Metaphor: Let’s go eat: I’m starving!
Personification: The pale-faced moon
Synesthesia: Her dress is really loud!
Simile: Strong as a horse
Metonymy: It’s time to pay Uncle Sam
Idioms • Most common type of figurative language• Most difficult for foreign language learners
Metaphors & Similes
Semantic Features: Our language is funny – a ‘fat chance’ and a ‘slim chance’ are the same
thing.”(J. Gustav White)
NYMS- are: Synonyms: small, little, tiny Antonyms: big-small; long-short
Homonyms: Homophones:
I need some flour for baking.This is a pretty flower.
Homographs: We saw a rare bird in the Zoo. The steak is medium rare.
Concrete OR Abstract
A boy Hate
Count OR Noncount
A pen/s Snow
Common OR Proper nouns
A lake Lake Tahoe
NOUNS CAN BE:
George Orwell and Newspeak
The square in Barcelona renamed in Orwell's honour.
George Orwell1903-1950
Orwell’s six rules for writers:
Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
Never use a long word where a short one will do. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. Never use the passive where you can use the active. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can
think of an everyday English equivalent. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
Newspeak PART 1 PART 2
PragmaticsThe meaning can also be encoded in sentences.
– Do it now!– Do it already!
OR In context: Dear Professor M.,
I am very pleased to recommend Irving Smith to you. He is a model student. He is very punctual and dresses well. I have known him for three years, and he has been cooperative in every way. He is always very polite. Respectfully,Prof. N
What Is Meaning?
Deixis
A sign on the door: “will be back soon.”
Deictic words can be Temporal: then, now, tomorrow, etc. Spacial: here, there, behind, etc. Personal: us, yours, mine, etc. (pronoun
reference)
Language Pragmatics
Analytic and Synthetic Sentences
Analytic sentences: truth is derived from linguistic meaning A monk is a man. Friday comes after Thursday.
Synthetic sentences: truth is based on the real-world facts, not on the linguistic meaning. Priests deliver sermons. Friday is the end of the week.
