GEI/Semantics & Pragmatics/2018-2019/SEMANTICS: TASKS/Dr. Juana I.

Marín Arrese

2. Meaning and Cognition

CATEGORIZATION
(i) Identify the hierarchical structure, by assigning the following terms to the basic level, or to a
superordinate or subordinate level.

boots, slippers, trainers, footwear, mountain boots, indoor footwear, shoes, wellingtons,
sportswear, flip-flop, canvas shoes, sandals, outdoor footwear.

POLYSEMY & HOMONYMY

(ii) Polysemy: Give different senses of the following words & explain.
1. Ear:

2. Plant:

3. Lip:

4. Tail:

5. Eye:

(iii) Identify the homonyms, and explain the senses.

1. Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

2. It was still light, so he went on walking even though he was tired and the case he carried was
not that light.

3. There was a fight outside the club, and one of the people actually used a club to beat his
opponents.

4. The bandage was wound round the wound.

5. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

DOMAINS & FRAMES

(iv) Which part of the ‘cottage’ is meant as the active zone in the following examples?
1. You must come and see my cottage.

2. I’m having the cottage painted.

3. She left in such a hurry that she forgot to lock the cottage.

4. I'm planting ivy all round the cottage

5. The cottage stood at the top of a steep hill.

Adapted from:
Dirven, R. & M. Verspoor (1998) Cognitive Exploration of Language and Linguistics.
Amsterdam: John Benjamins. (2nd ed., 2004)
Radden, G. & R. Dirven (2007) Cognitive English Grammar. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.