Lecture 3 The Nature of Meaning Compiled by

Lecture 3 The Nature of Meaning Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 1

Contents 1. Two approaches to the study of word meaning. 2. Types of motivation Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 2

Roman Jacobson (Russian linguist) Linguistics without meaning is meaningless. Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 3

A word: thing, event, relation What is the relation of words to the world of things, events and relations outside of language to which they refer? How is the word connected with its referent? Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 4

Two schools of thought Referential approach It tries to formulate the essence of meaning by making a connection between words and things or concepts they denote. Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 5

Two schools of thought (2) Functional approach It studies the functions of a word in speech. It is concerned with how the meaning works, and not what the meaning is. Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 6

3 components Sound-form of a linguistic sign Concept that underlies the sound -form Actual referent, or part (aspect) of reality to which the linguistic sign refers Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 7

Basic (or semantic) triangle German mathematician and philosopher Gotlieb Frege English scholars C. K. Ogden & I. A. Richards They adopted 3 -cornered pattern. Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 8

Reference (concept) Symbol (sign) Referent (thing) Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 9

Meaning is represented by is reflected in Name Referent is named by Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 10

Same referent – different languages Cat – a small four-legged animal with soft fur and sharp claws, often kept as a pet for catching mice and rats (Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture) Cat –die Katze-кот cot [kot] – люлька, колыбель Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 11

Дом House – a building for people to live in, often one that has more than one level (storey) and is intended for use by a single family Home – the place where one lives (house, flat) Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 12

Homonyms Seal – 1. тюлень; 2. печать Flat – 1. квартира; 2. плоский Spring – 1. весна; 2. прыжок; 3. пружина; 4. ключ, родник; 5. мотив (поступка); 6. прыгать; 7. появляться Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 13

Functional approach • It studies how the meaning works in speech. • Meaning is studied through its relation to other words, and not through its relation to either concept or referent. Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 14

Move-movement (compare contexts) e. g. move She moved her chair nearer the fire. Do you mind moving your car? movement with a movement of his hand Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 15

Distribution of the word The position of a word in relation to other words is different – they belong to different classes of words and they have different meanings. Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 16

Same word –different contexts Cf. Move your books out of the way! (change position) The play moved me deeply. (affect) I move the meeting to be open. (propose) Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 17

Referential approach (conclusion) is aimed at finding the relationship between a word (linguistic unit) and its referent (reference –meaning). It has more connection with mind and extralinguistic reality. Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 18

Functional approach (conclusion) it is aimed at analyzing the difference and sameness of meaning; it is understood as the function the word has in speech (typical contexts). Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 19

2. Motivation is used to denote the relationship that exists between phonemic (combination of sounds) and morphemic (combination of letters) composition and the structure of the word on the one hand, and its meaning on the other. Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 20

3 Types of motivation ü Phonetical motivation (sound symbolism) ü Morphological motivation ü Semantic motivation Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 21

Do individual sounds have meaning? What does [t] mean? What does [a] mean? Consonants (согласные) and vowels (гласные) are only used to give a distinctive shape to words. Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 22

Native speakers feel the meaning with some sounds or clusters (combinations) of sounds and properties (features) of the outside world. The phenomenon is known as sound symbolism phonoaesthesia/onomatopoeia Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 23

Sound /-p/ (preceded by a short vowel) conveys (передает) suddenness or shortness blip (отраженный импульс на экране) chop, clap, flip (щелчок, щелкать по уху) plop (бульк; шлепнуться) cap, cup, lip, map, ship, top, wrap Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 24

Match each sound on the left with an item on the right. a) ding-dong (дин-дон) 1) Iron gates closing b) tick-tock (тик-так) 2) violin-string braking c) Twang (памм) 3) Wood fire burning d) Clang (лязг, звон) 4) Large bell e) toot-toot (звук трубы, рожка) 5) Car braking at speed f) Bleep (короткий высокий звук) 6) Car horn g) Bang (бац, бах) 7) clock h) pitter-patter (частый легкий стук) 8) horses’ hoofs on road i) Crackle (треск, хруст) 9) Light rain on window j) Screech (визг, скрип, скрежет) 10) bath-water going gown plughole k) clip-clop (цок-цок) 11) Electronic personal caller l) Gurgle (бульк, журчание) 12) gun Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 25

Matching exercise answers a) ding-dong (дин-дон) 1) Large bell b) tick-tock (тик-так) 2) clock c) Twang (памм) 3) violin-string breaking d) Clang (лязг, звон) 4) Iron gates closing e) toot-toot (звук трубы, рожка) 5) Car horn f) Bleep (короткий высокий звук) 6) Electronic personal caller g) Bang (бац, бах) 7) gun h) pitter-patter (частый легкий 8) Light rain on window i) Crackle (треск, хруст) 9) Wood fire burning j) Screech (визг, скрип, скрежет) 10) Car braking at speed k) clip-clop (цок-цок) 11) horses’ hoofs on road l) Gurgle (бульк, журчание) 12) bath-water going gown plughole стук) Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 26

Morphological motivation The main criterion is the relationship between morphemes. In words composed of more than one morpheme the carrier of the word-meaning is the combined meaning of the component morphemes and the meaning of the structural pattern of the word. Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 27

Ex- (has a meaning of ‘former’) E. g. ex-film star, ex-president, ex -wife, ex-minister, ex-England footballer But in borrowed words motivation is faded: expect, export, expand, explore Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 28

Examples of morphological motivation Spacecraft Countdown Carbon capture Best-seller Deforestation Sustainable Portable computer Compatible Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 29

Word-building meaning (А. А. Потебня) Another term is ‘inner word form’ (внутренняя форма слова). Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 30

Degree of motivation Completely motivated words: Limitless, renewable energy sources, inexhaustible Partially motivated words: cranberry Non-motivated: matter, repeat Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 31

Motivation established etymologically Nightingale OE nihtegale (niht-ночь, galanпеть)= ночной певец stead (место) bedstead, homestead, instead breakfast (break-ломать, fastпост) Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 32

Semantic motivation Is based on the coexistance (сосуществование) of direct and figurative meanings of the same word. Similarity of various aspects (shape, position) or functions of different referents (metaphor) Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 33

Examples of linguistic metaphors e. g. mouth: 1. the opening on the face through which a person or animal can take food into the body, and speak or make sounds; 2. an opening, entrance, or way out the mouth of a river, the mouth of a cave, the mouth of a sack, the mouth of a furnace Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 34

Examples of semantic motivation To brainwash (подвергать идеологической обработке) Carbon footprint (углеродный след) To highlight (problems) (подчеркивать, выделять) Good mixer (общительный человек) To have green fingers (садоводческое искусство) Bookworm (любитель книг) Jet-lag (нарушение суточного ритма) Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 35

Folk (or popular) etymology An attempt to find motivation for a borrowed word makes native speakers change its form in order to give it connection with some wellknown word. These are the cases of mistaken etymology. Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 36

Examples of folk etymology Sparrow-grass is a popular name for asparagus. Though this vegetation has nothing to do with sparrows. Cutlet doesn’t come from ‘cut’, but from the French word côtelette, where côte means ‘side’. Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 37

Examples of folk etymology (2) A nightmare is not ‘a she-horse that appears at night’ but ‘a terrifying dream personified in folklore as a female monster’. Comes from OE mara ‘an evil spirit’. May-day (SOS signal) comes from the French word m’aidez (‘help me’). Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 38

Phonetical motivation (conclusion) Direct connection between the phonetic structure of the word and its meaning. It is not universally recognised in modern linguistic science. Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 39

Morphological motivation (conclusion) Direct connection between the meaning of the component morphemes, the pattern of their arrangement and the meaning of the word. Degree of morphological motivation may be different. Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 40

Semantic motivation (conclusion) Direct connection between the central and marginal meanings of the word. Connection may be regarded as a metaphoric extension of the central meaning based on similarity of aspects of different referents. Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 41

Thank you for your attention! Please ask your questions! Compiled by I. A. Cheremisina Harrer 42