Introduction to Meanings

By
Mohd Rashid Ansari
M.A. (ELT) II Semester
16-ETM-14
 Content
• Denotative Meaning
• Connotative Meaning
• Social Meaning
• Affective Meaning
• Thematic Meaning
• Reflective Meaning
• Collocative Meaning
• Paralinguistic Meaning
Denotative Meaning
Also Known as
conceptual/core/Central/literal/referential meaning
Logical or cognitive aspect of meaning
 Connotative Meaning

Umbrella Roof
 Social Meaning

• Meaning from particular social group.

• Example.

• Yar…(West UP)
• Yar…(East UP)
• Bhayiya (Bombay)
• Bhayiya ( UP)
 Affective Meaning

•  emotive or affective component of the

expression is referred to as its affective
meaning. Emotional attachment is shown
• Example. ‘oh my son’, says mother
• Shut the door (Angrily)
• Shut the door (softly)
• Mom, mummy, instead of mother
Thematic Meaning
 Reflective Meaning

• Example ‘the holy ghost’ (in church, it reflects

to Christ)

In Urdu dialect in UP East “Aadha Half hai”

here half means “Pagal”
Collocative Meaning
 Paralinguistic Meaning
Depending on the stress of the word
meaning changes….

Achha…
 Citations
• Class Notes
Thank you!