This document discusses semantics and the key concepts of reference, sense, and referring expressions. It defines semantics as the study of meaning in language. Reference deals with the relationship between language and the world, while sense deals with relationships inside language. Referring expressions are used to refer to something and can be indefinite or definite noun phrases depending on context. The document provides examples and explanations of these semantic concepts.
2. English Language and Literature
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3. Semantics
‘’Semantics is the study of
meaning in language.’’
‘’Linguistic semantics is the
study of meaning that is used by
humans to express themselves
through language.’’
(Hurford, Heasley & Smith, 2007)
5. Reference
Reference deals with the
relationship between language
and the world.
Reference is a relationship
between parts of language and
things outside the language (in
the world).
6. Types of
Reference
• Variable Reference
a. One word
b. Many expressions
c. Refer to different type 0f that object
• Constant Reference
a. One word
b. Many expressions
c. Refer to the same thing
7. Example of Variable Reference
• Book
The word book has a real object or
appearance in the world.
8. Example of Constant Reference.
America
America has a real appearance and also
can be defined in other words or
expressions.
10. Sense
Sense deals with relationships
inside the language.
Sense of an expression is its
place in a system of semantic
relationships with other
expressions in the language.
11. Example of Sense
1. The example of sense in word-form
GUILT
• Blame, Culpability, Guiltiness, Iniquity,
Wrong, etc.
• Feeling of shame for having done wrong,
Fact that somebody has done something
illegal, Blame or responsibility for
wrongdoing.
12. Example of Sense
2. The example of sense in phrase or
sentence
A prisoner escaped from jail yesterday.
• A prisoner ran away from the jail
yesterday.
• A prisoner got free from the jail
yesterday.
13. The Relationship between
Reference and Sense
• Reference Concrete
It can be proved by the thing in the real world
and only one step to prove it.
• Sense Abstract
It does not have a real object and we have to
imagine and compare to our experience.
Every expression that has meaning has
sense, but not every expression has
reference!
14. Referring Expression
A referring expression is any expression used
in an utterance to refer to something or someone.
The same expression can be a referring
expression or not depending on the context.
The condition which makes an expression can be
mentioned as a referring expression when the
speaker and the hearer have the same
perception of what is being talked about.
15. Types of Referring
Expression
• Indefinite Noun Phrase uses articles in its
expression.
e.g. -A girl who wore a black sweater is friendly.
-Some apples are bought by my grandmother.
-Five boys are playing guitar.
• Definite Noun Phrase uses proper name,
personal pronoun and longer descriptive
expression.
e.g. -Rania is friendly.
-She is studying Semantics.
-The person who stole my bag is my friend.
16. More Notions of Referring
Expression
• An opaque context is a part of a sentence which
could be made into a complete sentence by the
addition of a referring expression.
Opaque context typically involve a certain kind of
verb like: want, believe, think and wonder
about in the form complete sentence, but we also
can find opaque context in shorter expression.
Because of those kinds of verb, it was often in the
context that indefinite noun phrase could be
ambiguous between a referring and a non
referring expression.
17. More Notions of Referring
Expression
• An equative sentence is a part of a
sentence which could be made into a
complete sentence by the addition of
referring expression, but it is different from
opaque context, an equative sentence is
one which is used to make sure the identity
of the referents.
18. References…
Anonymous. Reference and Sense. Retrieved February 18,
2011, from http://www.phil.muni.cz/~materna/sense.html
Hurford, James R. Heasley, Brendan. and Smith, Michael
B. (2007). Semantics a Coursebook. United Kingdom:
Cambridge University Press.
Sundayana, Wachyu. and Aziz, E. Aminudin. (2000).
Semantik. Jakarta: Universitas Terbuka.
Wahab, Abdul. (1995). Teori Semantik. Surabaya:
Airlangga University Press.