III.

SEMANTICS AND PRAGMATICS

Semantics the study of the meaning of linguistic expressions. Semantics refers to the meaning of
words in a language and the meaning within the sentence. It considers the meaning of the sentence
without the context. The field of semantics focuses on three basic things: the relations of words to
the objects denoted by them, the relations of words to the interpreters of them, and, in symbolic
logic, the formal relations of signs to one another (syntax)". Semantics is just the meaning that the
grammar and vocabulary impart, it does not account for any implied meaning.
Pragmatics the study of the effect of context on meaning (He was so tired he could sleep for days
/ Those cookies look good). The study of language from the point of view of the users, especially of
the choices they make, the constrains they encounter in using language in social interaction, and the
effects their use of language has on the other participants in an act of communication. Pragmatics is
a study of speaker meaning rather than (or perhaps as in addition to) word meaning. It can be
abstract (sarcasm).
Cindy and Linnea

Cindy: there is a bookstore over there

Linnea: no
Cindy: why not
Linnea: Im tired.

Cindy: there is a bookstore over there. Lets go inside.

Linnea: no, I dont want to go inside.
Cindy: why do you not want to go inside?
Linnea: I dont want to because Im tired.

Words meaning can be broken down into smaller parts known as meaning components or
semantic features

!
What is wrong with this translation: Va povratak je naa najvea nagrada Your comeback is our
greatest prize.

Povratak: return, recurrence, regress, resumption, comeback

Definicija:
Comeback: a return to a former good position or condition; a return to being popular or fashionable;
a new effort to win or succeed after being close to defeat or failure

Return: to come or go to a place again

Lexical semantics the branch of semantics that deals with the meaning of words

Polysemy one word has two or more related meanings (bright means 'shining' and
'intellectual')

Speech act (govorni in) refers to actions performed via utterances. Those speech act in English
can be labeled as: Apology, complaint, compliment, invitation, promise or request.

All words have a denotation and connotation. The denotation refers to the most basic or specific
meaning of a word. In contrast, a connotation is an idea that is suggested by or associated with a
word. For example, the word home is just a name of structure, but the word has connotation of a
nation, a place of warmth, comfort, and affection (e.g. cheap and inexpensive both denote not costly,
but the connotation of cheap suggests something is of poor quality whereas inexpensive does not).
Denotation can be thought of as dictionary meanings or definitions. Connotation is related to the
subjective and cultural experiences of individuals. For example, when a person uses the word,
father, it will not be value free. A father may connote various other thoughts and feelings such as
kindness, severity, love, or abuse.

Meaning relationships
Synonym: if they have the same meaning (attractive/pretty)
Homonymy: different meanings sharing the same form (bank/bank)
Antonyms: words in some sense opposite in meaning (over/under)
Entailment: one meaning holds another meaning (Mary broke the window ||- The window broke)
Homophony: same sounds different meaning (hire/higher)
Polisemy: several meanings for the same word
Hiperonymy: inclusion relationship (cat, dog, seagull=animal)
I. Match the terms on the left to their meanings on the right:
antonymy (antonyms) two or more) words have the same form but
(entirely) distinct meanings (bank/bank; letter/
letter)
homonymy (homonyms) oppositeness of meaning (over/under, happy/
sad)

synonymy (synonyms) the entire set of things to which a word

corresponds in the real world (dictionary
meaning)
ambiguity (dvosmislenost) the affective or emotional meaning associated
with a word or phrase (speakers meaning)
denotation two or more words have identical sense
connotation The meaning of parts of the sentence is
uncertain, there isn't a solid meaning, can be
interpreted in different ways depending on
perspective (bat)

Proverbs Wisdom sayings that are not literal. Ex: don't count your chickens before they hatch,
Dont count your chickens before the eggs have hatched, Curiosity killed the cat
Idiom is a phrase or a fixed expression that has a figurative, or sometimes literal, meaning: he
kicked the bucket, piece of cake, she is pulling my leg, it is not rocket science
If you say, The cat's out of the bag instead of The secret is given away, you're using an idiom.
The meaning of an idiom is different from the actual meaning of the words used. An apple a day
keeps the doctor away is a proverb. Proverbs are old but familiar sayings that usually give advice.