(词汇学)Word Meaning.ppt

Ⅱ. Word Meaning
(Ⅰ).Definition: Meaning is a notion in semantics classically defined as having ponents: reference, anything in the referential realm denoted by a word or expression, and sense, the system of paradigmatic and syntagmatic relationships between a lexical unit and other lexical units in a language.
The English linguist, Eric Partridge, says:“Words have no meaning; people have meaning for them.”(词本无义,人赋予之。) I say:“Words are words, because they are meaningful.”
plete word:   meaning (房子) form --------------- referent (house)
这个图形表示: 第一,词有两个方向—“形式”和“意义(概念)”. “形式”指的是拼写;与此相对的是词的“意义(概念)”,,这两方面缺一不可. 第二,,词义在客观世界中是有所指的;另一方面,词义又是客观世界的某一(或某些)事物在语言中的反映. 第三,在“语义三角”中, “形式”和“所指对象”间不是实线,而是用虚线连接起来的,,house 和之间没有必然联系,它们之间是约定俗成的.
Why do we name a “house”  There is no way to explain “why”.  However, there is some way to explain “house” in “It houses us.” or “We are housed.”
So, words may have two natures: “conventionality” and “motivation”.
(Ⅱ).Natures of Word Meaning:
1. Conventionality (约定俗成) Most English words are conventional,arbitrary symbols; consequently, there is no intrinsic relation between the symbol and its sense. There is no way to explain why this or that symbol has this or that meaning.
2. Motivation: (理据形成) Motivation refers to the connection between word symbol and its sense. From the point of view of motivation, the great majority of English words are conventional. However, there is a small group of words that can be described as motivated, that is, a direct connection between the symbol and its sense can be really observed.