SEMANTIC Vs PRAGMATICS

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 Meaning
It begins from the question of the relationship between words and
the objects which words represent.
What is the meaning of the word “cow”?
--- it refers to an animal who has certain properties, that
distinguish it from other animals, who are called by other names.
Where do these names come from and why does the word ”cow‟
mean only that particular animal and none other?
--- there is no essential connection between the word “cow‟ and
the animal indicated by the word, but we have established this
connection by convention and thus it continues to be so.
--- there are some essential attributes of that animal which we
perceive in our minds and our concept of that animal is created
for which we create a corresponding word. Or there is an
essential correspondence between the sounds of words and their
meanings,

e.g., the word “buzz” reproduces “the sound made by a bee:”.

It is easy to understand this, but not so easy to understand how

“cow” can mean ‟a four animal” – there is nothing in the sound
of the word “cow‟ to indicate that,
However, it applies only to some words and not to others, for
example, words that do not refer to objects.
love?
--- the meaning of a word is not the object it refers to, but the
concept of the object that exists in the mind.
--- the word does not resemble the concept. Also, when we try to
define the meaning of a word we do so by using other words. So,
if we try to explain the meaning of “hand phone” we need to use
other words such as electronic device, has screen, make a call,
send a message; these words in turn can be explained only by
means of other words
Ogden and Richards could use it in different ways.
•“I mean to do this” is a way of expressing our intention.
•“The red signal means stop” is a way of indicating what the red
signal signifies.
Since all language consists of signs, we can say that every word
is a sign indicating something-usually a sign indicates other
signs.
Meaning can be any of the following:
•An intrinsic property of some thing;
•Other words related to that word in a dictionary;
•The connotations of a word (that is discussed below);
•The thing to which the speaker of that word refers;
•The thing to which the speaker / hearer of that word believes
himself to be referring.
 Meaning is that words (or signs) in a language.

Some signs indicate meaning in a direct manner, e.g. an arrow

(→) indicates direction.

Some signs are representative of the thing indicated, e.g.

onomatopoeic words such as “tinkle‟, “cough‟, “slam‟.

Some signs do not have any resemblance to the thing they refer
to, but as they stand for that thin, they are symbolic.
 Semantics

•Semantics is the study of meaning expressed by elements of any

language.
•Semantics is the part of linguistics that studies how word
meanings combine to give the meaning of a sentence.

killed, crocodile, hunter, the, the

--- The hunter killed the crocodile.

 What experts say about it …
• Hurford & Heasley (1983): Semantics is the study of meaning
in language;
• Frawley (1992): Linguistic semantics is the study of literal,
decontextualized, grammatical meaning,
• Saeed (1997): semantics is the study of meaning
communicated through language.
 Pragmatics
"Meaning beyond words".

These are few examples that illustrate it

1.I am late today, and a teacher approaches me. I tell her, “my
neighbor's house caught fire last night.”
2.I talk to my friend in the classroom and tell “my neighbor's
house caught fire last night.”

•I am reporting my neighbor's house caught fire last night; but I

am also communicating some second message as well “I’m late
because I should awake all night because of the fire.”
•I want to you know “my neighbor's house caught fire last
night.”
Basic concepts of pragmatics. It is beyond words meaning is
that what pragmatics is all about, a person might say a sentence
that have many meanings (non-direct meaning), hearer needs to
read between the lines to get the meaning, makes assumptions,
and guessing.

Another example:
Please, give me a spoon of sugar, Tenry!
Wow, Tenry this tea is too tasteless.
--- This implies a similar meaning but is indirect and therefore
requires pragmatic inference to derive the intended meaning.
 What experts say about it …
• Pragmatics involves how speakers use language in
contextualized social interactions, how they do things with
words, as Leech (1974, p.64) said.
• Yule (1996) explained that,
 The study of the relationship between linguistic forms and the
users of the forms;
 The study of speaker meaning;
 The study of contextual meaning;
 The study of how more gets communicated than is said;
 Semantics Pragmatics

Semantics covers what pragmatics covers what

expressions mean. speakers mean in using the
expressions.

Semantics invites a focus on Pragmatics involves how

meaning and truth speakers use language in
conditions without regard to contextualized social
communication and context. interactions.
References
•Frawley, W. (1992). Linguistic Semantics. Hillsdale (New
Jersey): Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
•Hurford, J. R., Heasley, Brendan. (1983). Semantics: A
Coursebook. Cambridge, CUP.
•Leech, G. N. (1983). Principles of Pragmatics Text. London,
NY: Longman.
•Rivers, W. M. (1981). Teaching Foreign-Language Skills.
Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press .
•Saeed, J. I. (1997). Semantics. Oxford: Blackwell.
•Smith, N., & Wilson, D. (1979). Modern linguistics: The results
of Chomsky's revolution (Vol. 255). Midland Books.
•Yule, G. (1996). Pragmatics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.