The document discusses several key concepts in semantics including: - Word meaning is composed of the sign or word, the thing or concept it refers to in the real world, and the idea of that thing. - Nouns have an identity index that specifies person, number, and gender. Verbs have a situation index rather than an entity. - Word meaning is also defined through semantic frames which represent all the aspects and attributes associated with the word's concept. - Different word categories like nouns and verbs have different types of semantic information that define their meaning including identity/situation indexes and the frames that are part of their concept.

1. Personal computer
• On your desk
• Or maybe you carry it around
• Expensive purchase
• Use it for the internet
• Communication
• Old people usually can’t use it well

2. Volcano
• Can be dangerous
• Eruptions
• Be careful
• Maybe tourist attractions

3. Cinema
• Seeing a movie
• In a building
• Pay money to enter
• Dark
• Big screen
• Popcorn

4. Lick
• Action involving tongue
• Ice cream
• Candy
• Dogs do it a lot (it’s unpleasant!)
• Stamps?

5. Do people still do this?

6. Do we still send letters?

7. Thermometer

9. • Measuring temperature
• Of your body
• Or a room
• In mouth?
• Under your arm?

10. Word Semantics

11. Word semantics triangle

12. Word semantics – sounds difficult!
• No it’s simple!
• Word (sign)
• Thing in the real world
• Idea of that thing

13. Word
• e.g:
• Apple
• Word “apple”
• Thing “apple” (an actual apple somewhere)
• Idea of apple

14. Word
• e.g:
• Word “unicorn”
• Thing “unicorn” (Oh, there is no thing!)
• Idea of unicorn
• Some “things” are imaginary

15. Words, Objects, Concepts

16. Referential Semantics

17. Symbol – thought -- thing

18. Lexical Semantics

19. Referential Semantics:
Relates words and objects

20. Lexical Semantics
Relates words and words

21. How does the word “elephant” relate
to real-world elephants?

22. Plato: words are names for objects

23. Direct relationship between words and
objects?

24. Onomatopoeia

25. Applying Theories of Word
Meaning

26. How do words get meaning?

27. How about the Yamura Mushi?

28. How about the meaning of that
expression?

29. One idea: Semantic Fields

30. Semantic Fields: meanings are
connected to other meanings

31. Word: insect
• The IDENTITY of the insect
• Insect X
• It’s not you
• It’s not me
• It’s Third Person
• It’s Singular
• It’s gender neutral: may be male or female

32. Word: insects
• The IDENTITY of the insects
• Insects X
• They are not you
• They are not me
• They are Third Person
• They are Plural
• They are gender neutral: may be male or female

33. What is in the Semantic Field for
insect?
• Fly
• Bee
• Wasp
• Mosquito
• Gnat
• Etc
• An animal with six legs, usually small, a bit
creepy, or unpleasant

34. Semantics of INSECT
ID x
x:
Person:3rd
Num:Sing
Gen:
Insect-Frame
Entity x

35. What’s in the Insect-Frame?
ID x
x:
Person:3rd
Num:Sing
Gen:
Insect-Frame
Entity x

36. All the insect-meaning you can think
of!!
ID x
x:
Person:3rd
Num:Sing
Gen:
Insect-Frame
Entity x

37. What is in the Semantic Field for
motor vehicle?
• Car
• Automobile
• Truck
• Van
• Bus
• Etc
• Has an engine, wheels, we can control it with
a steering wheel or handle

38. What is in the Semantic Field for food?
• Bread
• Rice
• Cheese
• Sausage
• Etc
• Something you stick in your mouth, chew,
swallow, it fills us up

39. What is in the semantic field for kick?
• Soccer
• Ball games
• Fighting
• Etc
• Hitting something with your foot

40. Roget’s Thesaurus

41. Complete the info:
• Word: dog
• PHON:
• /dɒɡ/
• GRAMMAR:
• Category (I am a …):
• Noun
• Valency (I need a …)
• Determiner/Specifier

42. Complete the info:
• Word: dog
• PHON:
• /dɒɡ/
• Meaning:
• Index (ID): x
• X = 3rd, Singular
• Frame:
• Dog-frame, Entity x

43. Complete the Information
Sound /dɒɡ/
Grammar
Is a [ n ]
Needs a [ d ]
Meaning Identity
info x
PERSON rd
NUMBER S
GENDER N
Frames:
Frame
Individual x

44. Sound /dɒɡ/
Grammar
Is a [ n ]
Needs a [ d ]
Meaning Identity
info x
PERSON rd
NUMBER S
GENDER N
Frames：
Frame
Individual x

45. Information
Sound /dɒɡ/
Grammar
Is a [ noun ]
Needs a [ determiner ]
Meaning Identity
info x
PERSON 3 rd
NUMBER Singular
GENDER Neutral
Frame:
Dog Frame
Individual x

46. Information
Sound /dɒɡ/
Grammar
Is a [ noun ]
Needs a [ determiner ]
Meaning Identity
info x
PERSON 3 rd
NUMBER Singular
GENDER
Frame:
Dog Frame
Individual x

47. Information
Sound /dɒɡ/
Grammar
Is a [ noun ]
Needs a [ determiner ]
Meaning Identity
info x
PERSON 3 rd
NUMBER Singular
GENDER
Frame:
Dog Frame
Entity x

48. Sound /dɒɡ/
• GRAMMAR INFORMATION
• Is a?
• Noun
• Needs a?
• Determiner

49. Sound /dɒɡ/
• MEANING INFORMATION
• PERSON id: 3rd
• NUMBER id: SINGULAR
• GENDER id:

50. Sound /ʃiː/
Grammar
Is a [ CASE[ ] ]
Valency [ ]
Meaning Identity
info x
PERSON
NUMBER
GENDER
Frame:
Frame
Individual x

51. Sound /ʃiː/
Grammar
Is a [ noun CASE[ nom ] ]
Valency [ ]
Meaning Identity
info x
PERSON 3rd
NUMBER sing
GENDER fem
Frame:
Female -Frame
Individual x

52. Sound /ʃiː/
Grammar
Is a [ noun CASE[ nom ] ]
Valency [ ]
Meaning INDEX x
PERSON 3rd
NUMBER sing
GENDER fem
Frame:
Female - Frame
Individual x

53. PHONOLOGY /sliːps/
Syntax
Category [ ]
Valency [ [nom], [ , sing ]
Semantics Frames:
Frame
SLEEPER x

54. PHONOLOGY /sliːps/
Syntax
Category [ verb ]
Valency [ Noun Phrase [nom], [ 3rd , sing ]]
Semantics Frames:
Sleeping Frame
SLEEPER x

55. Individual’s ID
INDEX x
PERSON 3rd
NUMBER sing
GENDER fem

56. May identify an actual thing or person
INDEX x
PERSON 2nd
NUMBER
GENDER

57. May be an actual group
INDEX x
PERSON 1st
NUMBER plural
GENDER

58. PHON /wiː/
“we”
PERSON
NUMBER
GENDER

59. PHON /wiː/
“we”
PERSON 1st
NUMBER
GENDER

60. PHON /wiː/
“we”
PERSON 1st
NUMBER Plural
GENDER

61. PHON /wiː/
“we”
PERSON 1st
NUMBER Plural
GENDER neutral

62. PHON /wiː/
“we”
PERSON 1st
NUMBER Plural
GENDER

63. PHON /juː/
“you”
PERSON 2nd
NUMBER
GENDER

64. PHON /juː/
“you”
PERSON 2nd
NUMBER neutral
GENDER neutral

65. PHON /juː/
“you”
PERSON 2nd
NUMBER
GENDER

66. PHON /aɪ/
“I”
PERSON
NUMBER
GENDER

67. PHON /aɪ/
“I”
PERSON 1st
NUMBER singular
GENDER

68. PHON /ðeɪ/
“they”
PERSON
NUMBER
GENDER

69. PHON /ðeɪ/
“they”
PERSON 3rd
NUMBER plural
GENDER

70. What about a verb’s ID?
• Nouns have IDs
• Don’t verbs have IDs?
• Well, a noun’s ID is an individual or individuals
• Entities
• A verb’s ID is a SITUATION
• Or an action

71. PHONOLOGY /sliːps/
Syntax
Category [ verb ]
Valency [ Noun Phrase [nom], [ 3rd , sing ]]
Semantics Frames:
Sleeping Frame
SLEEPER x

72. Verb ID
SITUATION s
INDEX

73. PHONOLOGY /sliːps/
Syntax
Category [ verb ]
Valency [ Noun Phrase [nom], [ 3rd , sing ]
Semantics Frames:
Sleeping Frame
SLEEPER x
SITUATION s
situation s
INDEX

74. PHONOLOGY /slept/
Syntax
Category [ ]
Valency [ ]
Semantics Frames:
-Frame
SLEEPER x
SITUATION s
,
-tense-Frame
PAST-EVENT s

75. PHONOLOGY /slept/
Syntax
Category [ verb ]
Valency [ NP ]
Semantics Frames:
Sleeping -Frame
SLEEPER x
SITUATION s
,
Past-tense-Frame
PAST-EVENT s

76. PHONOLOGY /slept/
Syntax
Category [ verb ]
Valency [ NP ]
Semantics
Frames:
Sleeping -Frame
SLEEPER x
SITUATION s
,
Past-tense-Frame
PAST-EVENT s
situation s
Index

77. Verb meaning
• Part of a verb’s meaning:
• It’s a kind of SITUATION
• It has some kind of MEANING (kicking,
sleeping etc)
• It could be in a certain time (past, present etc)

78. PHONOLOGY /kɪkt/
Syntax
Category [ ]
Valency [ ]
Semantics Frames:
-Frame
,
-tense-Frame
-EVENT
Situation:

79. • /kɪkt/
• CATEGORY:
• verb

80. • /kɪkt/
• VALENCY [ ]
• VALENCY [ NP[nom]; NP[acc] ]

81. • /kɪkt/
• MEANING (INDEX)
• INDEX:
• Situation s

82. • /kɪkt/
• MEANING (Frames)
• Kicked-frame
• Past-tense-frame

83. PHONOLOGY /kɪkt/
Syntax
Category [ verb ]
Valency [ NP ]
Semantics Frames:
Kick -Frame
KICKER x
KICKED y
SITUATION s
,
Past-tense-Frame
PAST-EVENT s
situation s

84. MEANING OF VERBS
Frames:
Verb-Frame
DOER x
DID y
Situation s
,
Past-tense-
Frame
PAST-
EVENT s
situation s
INDEX

85. Kick-frame
• Kicker x
• Kicked y
• Situation s

86. Walk-frame
• Walker x
• Situation s

87. Give-frame
• Giver x
• Receiver y
• Given z
• Situation s

88. Hit-frame
• Hitter x
• Hit y
• Situation s

89. Dog-frame
• Entity X
• What’s X?
• X comes from the INDEX
• INDEX =
• 3rd
• Sing

90. PHON /ɡɜːl/
• What’s that?
• Girl
• CATEGORY?
• Noun
• Valency
• Determiner (Specifier)

91. PHON /ɡɜːl/
INDEX?
PERSON?
3rd
NUMBER?
Singular
Gender?
Fem?
???????

92. PHON /ɡɜːl/
• Frame?
• Girl-frame
• What’s in the girl-frame?
• All the meaning of “girl” that you can think
of!!
• Entity?
• Some girl X

93. Girl-frame
Girl-frame
Entity x

94. Entity x?
Girl-frame
Entity x

95. Entity x?
Girl-frame
Entity x

96. Entity x?
Girl-frame
Entity x

97. Entity x?
Girl-frame
Entity x
INDEX x

98. Entity x?
Girl-frame
Entity x
INDEX x
PER

99. Entity x?
Girl-frame
Entity x
INDEX x
PER 3rd

100. Entity x?
Girl-frame
Entity x
INDEX x
PER 3rd
NUM

101. Entity x?
Girl-frame
Entity x
INDEX x
PER 3rd
NUM sing

102. Entity x?
Girl-frame
Entity x
INDEX x
PER 3rd
NUM sing
GEN Fem

103. Entity x?
Girl-frame
Entity x
INDEX x
PER 3rd
NUM sing
GEN ???

104. Entity x?
Girl-frame
Entity x
INDEX x:
3rd, sing