L5.

Semasiology

1) Semasiology is an integral part of linguistics which is concerned with the meaning of words and
word equivalents.

We can distinguish such a main object of semasiological study:

 Types of lexical meaning;

 Semantic structure of polysemy and words;
 Semantic development of words in diachronic approach;
 Semantic grouping (paradigmatic): synonyms, antonyms, semantic fields and various thematic
groups.

We can write such an identity: meaning = the inner form of the word = the semantic structure of the
word. Where seme is the smallest unit which could have its own meaning.

2) We have such approaches to the study of meaning:

 Referential – establishes the interdependence between word-thing-concept they denote.
Meaning is connected with the object of reality denoted by the word.
 Functional – meaning is presents as a function of a word in speech, in context, within a phrase
or a sentence. The meaning is only viewed through its stigmatic relations with other linguistic
units.

Meaning – Referent

So, meaning is linguistic but the denoted object is beyond the language. For instance: object can be
denoted by various descriptions; meaning is not the same as the actual properties of the referent.

Meaning is one part of the linguistic sign – inner facet and sound form and morphological structure is
outer facet.

Lexical meaning – notion

Word is absolutely a language unit while notion is a unit of thinking. Meaning is attached to a word but
notion – to a thought.

Within one lexical meaning of the word there exist a number of semes.

Grammatical meaning is a component of meaning which can be found in identical sets of individual
forms of various words. (more abstract and generalized than the lexical meaning)

Lexical meaning is a component of meaning proper to the word as a linguistic unit, it’s the realization of
the concept. (semantic invariant of the grammatical variation of a word, but unlike grammatical
meaning this type is identical in all forms of the word)

Lexical and grammatical meaning make up the word-meaning.

3) Three types of motivation

There are three types of motivation: phonetical, morphological and semantic motivation;
Phonetical motivation is observed in words whose sound clusters imitate the sounds they signify (boom,
whisper, murmur etc)

Morphological motivation is apparent in derived words and nonidiomatic compounds due to their word-
formation pattern (worker = work + er = one who works; bathroom = bath + room = room with a bath).

Sematic motivation is the relationship between the direct and the transferred meaning of the word
(mother tongue, the mouth of a river, a green beginner)
Ex 1 (p52)

Phonetical: giggle, crash, bump, buzz, babble, howl, mow, purr, splash, swish.

Morphological: basketball, bookshelf, bottleneck, boyish, handkerchief, nightgown, over-grow, skillful,

teacher, watery.

Semantic: blooming (health), foot (of a mountain), green (with envy), heart (of the country), head (of a
procession), key (to a mystery), legs (of a table), nose (of a plane), tongues (of flame).

4) Denotational and connotational meaning

Denotational meaning – the component of meaning which makes communicative aspect of language
possible (the leading one);

Connotational – the additional component (parent, father, daddy)

We can recognize three types of connotation:

 Stylistic reference (literary, neutral, colloquial layers)

 Emotive charge (expressive and intensifying)
 Evaluation

Universal and nationally different connotations:

Universal – names of animals, birds and insects (general language)

Nationally different connotations (different meaning due to the various cultural differences in
understanding the same characteristics of an animal/bird etc.)

Connotation can be:

a) Inherent – proper of the word

b) Adherent – appears in context

Synonymic words can differ by their connotative meaning:

 Connotation of degree and intensify;

 Causative connotation;
 Connotation of duration and manner;
 Connotation of attendant circumstances and features.

Connotative meaning of the word could be characterized (analyzed) through the semantic structure of
synonymic words.

1. The connotation of degree or intensity

2. Emotive charge
3. The evaluative connotation
4. The causative connotation
5. A connotation of duration
6. The connotation of manner
7. The connotation of attendant circumstances
8. The connotation of attendant features
9. Stylistic connotations (sometimes isn’t regarded in stylistic characteristic – is a further
classification)
 5) Polysemy

Monosemy – is the existence only one meaning within one word;

Polysemy – is the existence several meanings within one word. One is the main (central meaning) and
others are marginal (associated/related) meanings.

Ex 4 (p54)

(a) Nouns

29. He fumbled around for a cigarette, stuck it in his mouth and forgot to light it. (mouth – main
meaning – part of body)

Він потоптався в пошуках сигарети, усмикнув її до рота та забув підпалити.

30. They could see now where the mouth of the stream opened out. (mouth of the river – secondary
meaning – the beginning of the river/stream etc.)

Тепер вони побачили де ж було гирло потоку.

18. The pages brought him the robe of tissued gold and set the crown and the scepter before him.
(crown – main meaning – a decoration for a head from gold with tremendous amount of jewels)

Пажі принесли йому одяг витканий із золота та поставили пред ним корону та скіпетр.

19. When she sat, he bent over and lightly kissed the crown of her head. (crown – secondary meaning -
the top of something (the highest point of something))

Поки вона сиділа, він нахилився та легко поцілував її в маківку.

(c) Verbs

6. Reggie Bumside was a rich young man engaged in some mysterious ‘research work’. (engaged – main
meaning – be a participant of something; take part somewhere)

Реджі Бамсайд був багатим молодим чоловіком, який займався таємною дослідницькою роботою.

7. ‘We heard you were engaged to a girl out West’. (engaged – secondary meaning – be married)

Ми чули, що Ви заручилися із дівчиною із Заходу.

12. One shell in the gun had been fired. The barrel smelled of powder fumes. (fired – main meaning –
shot)

Снаряд було випущено. Від бочки тхнуло порохом.

13. I hear you fired all your servants – I wanted somebody who wouldn’t gossip. (fired – secondary
meaning – been left without work)

Я чув, що ти звільнив усіх своїх слуг – Мені потрібні ті, хто не пліткує.

6) Synchronic and diachronic approaches to the change of meaning

When we are talking about polysemantic structure of the word, it becomes clear that we will touch
more thn one meaning of the same word. So, as a rule, the word retains its original meaning and at the
same time acquires several new ones.

In such way appears:

1) Direct meaning we can divide into:

 a) Primary or etymological meaning;
b) Derived meaning.
2) Secondary meaning, we can divide into:
a) Secondary denotative meaning;
b) Figurative meaning.

Ex 6 (p59)

5. Mrs. Page sat at the head (secondary, figurative) of the table with her back (direct, derived) to the fire
(direct, primary).

10. “Oh, honey (secondary, figurative), you know I can’t stand (secondary, figurative) to sit still more
than a minute.

27. “How are you, kid (direct, primary)? I’m glad see you, young fellow”