Unit 1

BASIC IDEAS
IN SEMANTICS
Basic Ideas in Semantics

I. What is semantics?

II. Meaning
III. SENTENCE, UTTERANCE,
PROPOSITION

IV. Semantic triangle

V. Reference and Sense

Semantics = a branch of Linguistics
studying the meanings of words, expressions, or
sentences
dealing with meaning in the language forms
NOTES
(1) Semantics is an attempt to set up a theory of
meaning. (p.8)
(2) Semantic theory deals with semantic facts

e.g. The chicken is ready  to eat 1.

The chicken is ready 1 to eat .
He’s single. / He’s unmarried.
He’s unmarried. / He’s married.
pp.8-9
NOTES
(3) Semantics concentrates on the similarities b/w
languages rather than on the differences. (p.11)
> there are parallels among languages

e.g. as strong as a horse (E) =>

A leopard cannot change its spots. (E) =>
> Purpose: to make general statements about
languages
e.g. Idioms / proverbs in different languages can
convey the same concepts, but
 Language

word
sounds structures meanings
formation

Meaning = an aspect / component of language

> Sentence/ Word meaning =

> Speaker meaning > meaning carried by words

affected by a speaker’s will >
E.g.1
Situation A: Where can we find a peacock?
Situation B: (mother to daughter who brought her
boyfriend home)
“Where did you find that peacock?”
 Question: In which situation can you find
the speaker meaning?
E.g.2
Situation C:
Ann: Try this cake. Is it delicious?
Tom: Yeah! You’re quite a good cook.

Situation D
Kim (daughter): I’m sorry, dad. The rice’s burnt again.
Jack (father): You’re quite a good cook, dear!
 MEANING

Literal Non-literal
 Literal meaning  found in dictionaries (e.g.
“peacock 1”)
 Non-literal meaning  in actual use, in utterances
(sarcasm, irony, metaphor,… =>

 Linguistic context  actual words / sentences that

precede or follow an utterance
- We need to fix a date for the next meeting.
- This date tastes sweet. Can I have another?
 Situational context  situation, background
knowledge, physical context (where, when, who,…)
- The Red Khmer is accused of genocide.
p.6
pp. 16-24
 III. SENTENCE, UTTERANCE,
PROPOSITION
1.
=> Which has meaning? Which is a sentence?
e.g. She put my books on the counter.
She put my book.
On the counter.

A sentence =>
- a grammatically complete string of words
-
2. An utterance =>
- what is said by any speaker, before and after
another person begins to speak (“_”)
-

=> Identify the utterances:

E.g. Susan: “Nice day today. Going out?”
Peter: “No. I’d rather stay indoors. Coffee?”
Susan: “Yes, no sugar.”
Peter: “I know. You don’t like anything sweet.”
Susan: “No.”
 3. => How many basic meanings are there in this
simple sentence?
E.g. Mary’s friend, Carol’s brother, is a married lawyer.
- Mary has a friend.
- Carol has a brother.
- This brother is Mary’s friend.
-
-
=> 5 propositions
A proposition =>
- the basic meaning which a sentence expresses
- part of the meaning of the utterance of a declarative
sentence which describes some state of affairs
 NOTES:
1. A proposition (of a declarative sentence) can be TRUE
or FALSE. (p.20)
e.g. I found lots of coconut palms in Ben Tre province.
He found lots of coconut palms in London.
2. The notion of TRUTH decides whether 2 sentences
express the same proposition.
e.g. (a) I found lots of coconut palms in BT province.
(b) Lots of coconut palms are found in BT province.

(c) Mrs Miller was killed.

(d) Mrs Miller is still alive.
p.20
3. Sentences of different languages (p.22)
=> may have the same proposition
e.g. My name is Alice./ Toâi teân Alice./ Je m’appelle
Alice.
4. Different sentences => same proposition (p.20)
e.g. The porters have shut the gates.

5. A question can be uttered with a proposition, but

without a TRUTH VALUE.
e.g. Are you a student?
=>
6. A declarative sentence + its corresponding
interrogative / imperative one => same propositional
content (p.22)
e.g. The porters have shut the gates.
Have the porters shut the gates?
Ask the porters to shut the gates!
=> referring to the action of shutting the gate
Exercise: Identify the propositions in these utterances.

1. “Malaria – a dangerous, infectious disease spread by

mosquitoes – is usually found in the tropics.”

2. “Jack’s girlfriend, Jane, who is a nurse, is working at

Central Hospital.”

3. “The tall, stately building collapsed after an earthquake.”

4. “Fires in Australia are increasingly under control as

cooler temperatures and light winds stay consistent.”

5. “Britain’s tourism industry is being affected by the

coronavirus with hotels facing mass cancellations as
China has banned tourism departures indefinitely.”
 sense

form referent
 sense
Form-sense rel.
=>

form referent

=> no reason for naming a concept,

e.g.
=> agreement
 sense
Sense-referent rel.
=>

form referent

=> no simple correlation of one referent

– one sense
e.g.
 Form-referent rel.
=>
sense

form referent

=> label (form) is given after a concept for a

referent has been framed (i.e. via concept)
e.g.
A. Relationships b/w Form-Referent (=
reference) (p.27)
B. Relationships b/w Form-Sense (p.29)
C. Relationships b/w Sense-Reference
(p.31)
D. Relationships b/w Reference-
Utterance (p.33)
 A. Relationships b/w Form-Referent
(= reference) (p.27)

Examples
1. one expression –
different referents
> variable reference
2. one expression –
unique referent
> constant reference
3. different expressions –
same referent
 B. Relationships b/w Form-Sense (p.29)

Examples
4. different expressions –
one sense
> synonymous words
5. one expression –
different senses
> polysemous /
homonymous words
6. one sentence –
different senses
> ambiguous structure
 Examples
7. expressions in different
languages / dialects –
same sense
> same proposition
 C. Relationships b/w Sense-Reference (p.31)
=> Every expression in language has sense
BUT not all expressions have REFERENCE
Examples
8. with sense – w/o
reference
> abstract notions
> imagery entities
> non-existent entities
 D. Relationships b/w Reference-Utterance
(p.33)

Examples
9. same utterance –
different reference
> variable reference
Practice 1
<A. Relationships b/w Form – Reference> (p.28)
Practice 2
<B. Relationships b/w Form – Sense> (p.29)
Practice 3
<C. Relationships b/w Sense-Reference> (p.31)
SUMMARY
In everyday conversation, the words meaning, means,
mean, meant, etc. can be used to indicate Reference
or Sense. (p.33)