UNIT I INTRODUCTION

Objectives General: to understand the theory of semantics Specific / Materials To describe the term of semantics To describe the term of semantics and linguistics To distinguish speakers meaning versus sentences To identify how someone studies meaning To understand what a theory of semantics To understand why Aristotle is regarded as a forerunner of modern semantics To identify some important points about semantics

 1.

Materials The term semantics In English was in 1894, the first time the term Semantics appeared Reflected meanings: a point in semantics. In French was in 1883, M Breal Coined the term semantique from the Greek In French was in 1900 M. Breal`s book semantics: was published: Studies meaning. In French was in 1897 the original of M. Breal`s book semantics appeared (superb book) In French was in 1923 the famous books on semantics is The meaning of meaning written by C.K Ogden and I.A Richards (appears in the appendix)

2. Semantics and Linguistic Semantics: is the study meaning in language, but the meaning carried by words may be affected by a speaker`s will Meaning seems to be so vague, insubstantial, and elusive that it is impossible to come to any clear, concrete, or tangible conclusion. Language can be regarded as a communication system that relates something to be communicated with something that communicates, a message on the one hand with a set of signs on the other

Linguistic as the science must not be concerned with specific instance, but with generalization Ferdinand de Saussure indicated this point by stating the dictinction between LANGUAGE (langue) and SPEAKING (parole). Noam Chomsky used the terms COMPETENCE and PERFORMANCE to exclude what is purely individual and (speaking or performance), and to insist that proper study of linguistics is language or competence. THE FOCUS OF THE STUDY OF SEMANTICS IN ON STUDYING THE NORMAL PATTERNS OF SEMANTICS AND ALSO CONCERNED WITH INDIVIDUALS MEANINGS.

3. Speaker meaning is what a speaker means when he utters a piece of language. Can include both courtesy and hostility; praise and insult, endearment and provoking. Sentence/word meaning is what a sentence/phrase/word means, i.e. what it counts as the equivalent of in the language concerned. They are used to maintain or to establish social relationships formed and maintained by the use of language are not necessarily courteous and amicable.

4. The meaning of words, phrases and sentences can safely be taken as known to competent speakers of language. Native speakers of languages are the primary sources of information about meaning.

5. Theory: Semantics is an attempt to set up a theory to meaning, such as statement, negation, analytic sentence interrogation Hurford and Heasley (1984:8) define: A theory is a precisely specified, coherent, and economical frame-work of interdependent statement and definitions constructed so that as large a number as possible of particular basic facts can either be seen to follow from it or be describe in terms or it

6. Aristotle can be regarded as a forerunner

of modern semantics. Because clearly concerned with the same general areas that concern modern semanticists. It is true that there are areas of meaning studied by modern semanticists which were terra incognita (unexplored field)

7. Some important point about semantics:

Semanticists have certain advantages and certain disadvantages and certain disadvantages in comparison to other scientist; they can do semantics from their arm chairs but their mental labour can be quite arduous. Doing semantics is largely a matter of conceptual analysis, exploring the nature of meaning in a careful and thoughtful way, using a wide range of examples, many of which we can draw from our own knowledge.