Semantics

Abstract and concrete From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Metaphysics concept covering the divide between two types of entities Abstract objects are most commonly used in philosophy and semantics. They are sometimes called abstracta in contrast to concreta. The term abstract object is said to have been coined by Willard Van Orman Quine.[5] Abstract object theory is a discipline that studies the nature and role of abstract objects. In philosophy[edit] The type–token distinction identifies physical objects that are tokens of a particular type of thing.[7] The "type" of which it is a part is in itself an abstract object. Abstract objects have often garnered the interest of philosophers because they raise problems for popular theories. Some, such as Ernst Mally,[8] Edward Zalta[9] and arguably, Plato in his Theory of Forms,[9] have held that abstract objects constitute the defining subject matter of metaphysics or philosophical inquiry more broadly. Abstract objects and causality[edit] See also[edit] Sources[edit]

Ambiguity Ambiguity is an attribute of any concept, idea, statement or claim whose meaning, intention or interpretation cannot be definitively resolved according to a rule or process consisting of a finite number of steps. The concept of ambiguity is generally contrasted with vagueness. In ambiguity, specific and distinct interpretations are permitted (although some may not be immediately apparent), whereas with information that is vague, it is difficult to form any interpretation at the desired level of specificity. Context may play a role in resolving ambiguity. Linguistic forms[edit] Structural analysis of an ambiguous Spanish sentence: 'Pepe vio a Pablo enfurecido Interpretation 1: When Pepe was angry, then he saw Pablo Interpretation 2: Pepe saw that Pablo was angry. The context in which an ambiguous word is used often makes it evident which of the meanings is intended. More problematic are words whose senses express closely related concepts. For example, "You could do with a new automobile.

Semantics Introduction This web page is intended for students who are following GCE Advanced level (AS and A2) syllabuses in English Language. This resource may also be of general interest to language students on university degree courses, trainee teachers and anyone with a general interest in language science. Note: This Web page uses symbols which may not display correctly in all browsers. What is semantics? Semantics is the study of meaning. Back to top Some important areas of semantic theory or related subjects include these: Symbol and referent Conceptions of meaning Words and lexemes Denotation, connotation, implication Pragmatics Ambiguity Metaphor, simile and symbol Semantic fields Synonym, antonym and hyponym Collocation, fixed expression and idiom Semantic change and etymology Polysemy Homonymy, homophones and homographs Lexicology and lexicography Thesauruses, libraries and Web portals Epistemology Colour Symbol and referent These terms may clarify the subject. Conceptions of meaning

Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle (Vintage Departures): Daniel L. Everett: 9780307386120: Amazon.com Universal From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigationJump to search Universal may refer to: Places[edit] Universal, Indiana, a small town in the United States Companies and organizations[edit] Arts, entertainment, and media[edit] Music[edit] Groups[edit] Albums[edit] Songs[edit] Other arts, entertainment, and media[edit] Universal role-playing game system, one that is designed for use with many or all genres Cultural concerns, science, and philosophy[edit] Technology and devices[edit] HTC Universal, a Pocket PC phoneThe "Universal", an oxygen rebreather designed for use with the Sladen SuitUniversal slitter, a slitter rewinder for roll slitting Other uses[edit] See also[edit]

Nominalization Nominalization in various languages[edit] English[edit] From the viewpoint of linguistic prescriptivism, nominalizations are considered to make sentences more difficult to follow and to promote wordiness. For these reasons, nominalizations are usually discouraged in writing. With derivational morphology[edit] This is a process by which a grammatical expression is turned into a noun phrase. Examples of nouns formed from adjectives: applicability (from applicable)carelessness (from careless)difficulty (from difficult)intensity (from intense) Examples of nouns formed from verbs: failure (from fail)nominalization (from nominalize)investigation (from investigate)movement (from move)reaction (from react)refusal (from refuse) An especially common case of verbs being used as nouns is the addition of the suffix -ing, known in English as a gerund. swimming (from swim)running (from run)editing (from edit) With zero-derivation[edit] change I need a change. murder The murder of the man was tragic. progress use

Pragmatic Meaning vs. Sematic Meaning: How to Tell the Difference Differences in Meaning As the example above shows, considering both the pragmatic and semantic meaning of your sentence is important when communicating with other people. Although semantics is concerned only with the exact, literal meaning of the words and their interrelations, pragmatic usage focuses on the inferred meaning that the speakers and listeners perceive. The following examples demonstrate the difference between the two: She hasn’t taken a shower. He was so tired he could sleep for days. In both of these examples, the context and pragmatic meaning really define the sentence. In the first, did the speaker really mean to say that the woman has not ever taken a shower, not even once? In the second example, we have a guy who is so tired he can sleep for days.

Nominalism Most nominalists have held that only physical particulars in space and time are real, and that universals exist only post res, that is, subsequent to particular things.[3] However, some versions of nominalism hold that some particulars are abstract entities (e.g., numbers), while others are concrete entities – entities that do exist in space and time (e.g., pillars, snakes, bananas). Nominalism is primarily a position on the problem of universals, which dates back at least to Plato, and is opposed to realist philosophies, such as Platonic realism, which assert that universals do exist over and above particulars. However, the name "nominalism" emerged from debates in medieval philosophy with Roscellinus. The term 'nominalism' stems from the Latin nomen, "name". For example, John Stuart Mill once wrote, that "there is nothing general except names". In philosophy of law, nominalism finds its application in what is called constitutional nominalism.[4] History[edit] ...' Medieval philosophy[edit]

Pragmatics Pragmatics is a subfield of linguistics and semiotics that studies the ways in which context contributes to meaning. Pragmatics encompasses speech act theory, conversational implicature, talk in interaction and other approaches to language behavior in philosophy, sociology, linguistics and anthropology.[1] Unlike semantics, which examines meaning that is conventional or "coded" in a given language, pragmatics studies how the transmission of meaning depends not only on structural and linguistic knowledge (e.g., grammar, lexicon, etc.) of the speaker and listener, but also on the context of the utterance, any pre-existing knowledge about those involved, the inferred intent of the speaker, and other factors.[2] In this respect, pragmatics explains how language users are able to overcome apparent ambiguity, since meaning relies on the manner, place, time etc. of an utterance.[1] The ability to understand another speaker's intended meaning is called pragmatic competence.[3][4][5] Example: "I"

Who, what, why: Why did Joey Barton put on a French accent? 27 November 2012Last updated at 10:06 ET Joey Barton is yet to become fluent in French English footballer Joey Barton has been much mocked for conducting a press conference in Marseille in a French accent. But why do some English speakers put on accents when in other countries? Joey Barton has already defended himself after a wave of lampoonery of his accent while speaking to journalists following his league debut for Marseille. During the appearance, Barton chatted to reporters in a French accent worthy of BBC sitcom 'Allo 'Allo! For many a football fan it evoked memories of the now infamous interview former England boss Steve McClaren gave in 2008 when he spoke English in a Dutch accent. Barton has yet to offer an explanation but has hinted to his 1.7 million Twitter followers that he may have used the "Bartonese" - as it has since been dubbed - in jest. Joey Barton adopts French accent after Ligue 1 debut Continue reading the main story The answer