Referential Semantics:
Relates words and objects
Words, Objects, Concepts
Sign, thought, thing
The word, the general meaning, the
thing it refers to
Semantic Triangle
• The word (sign)
• The concept, general meaning, your idea
• The actual thing (referent)
The word “unicorn”
The general meaning of “unicorn”
An actual unicorn
OK, there are no actual unicorns
The word “horse”
A word is a sign
This picture is also a kind of sign
The meaning of “horse”
The concept of “horse”
All the meaning you get from “horse”
The referent
Not the word
Not the picture
Not the concept
This actual horse
The referent
horse
PHON
Horse UK
PHON /hɔːs/
Horse US
PHON /hɔːrs/
Horse (simple is best)
PHON /hɔːs/
SYNTAX
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
Horse: Category
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT
Horse: Valency
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT
VAL
Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [ ]
VAL
Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL
Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [ ]
Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM ??????
Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM [identity of referent (actual thing)
Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM [identity of referent
+ general meaning ]
Horse
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM [identity of referent
+ general meaning ]
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM [identity of referent
+ general meaning ]
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM ID
GENERAL
MEANING
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM ID
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM INDEX
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM INDEX X
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM INDEX Y
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM INDEX Z
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM INDEX 1
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM INDEX 2
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM INDEX X
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM INDEX 3rd Person
Singular
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM INDEX X
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
INDEX X
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES: GENERAL MEANING
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES <
Horse-Frame
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES <
Horse-Frame
Entity X
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES <
Horse-Frame
Entity X
X = 3rd Person, Singular
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES <
Horse-Frame
Entity X
PHON /hɔːs/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES <
Horse-Frame
Entity X
>
PHON / /
SYN
CAT [ ]
VAL [ ]
SEM
<
-Frame
Entity
>
PHON /sneɪk/
SYN
CAT [noun]
VAL [Determiner]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES <
Snake-Frame
Entity X
>
PHON / /
SYN
CAT [ CASE [ ]]
VAL [ ]
SEM
<
-Frame
Entity
>
PHON /hɪm/
SYN
CAT [ noun CASE [ Acc ]]
VAL [ ]
SEM
INDEX X
FRAMES <
Male –Frame
Entity X
>
• We can say that a noun refers to a real-world i………………….…. or
e………….……….., while a verb refers to a real-world a………………………..
•
• A sentence refers to a real-world ………………………….
•
• The general meaning of a word is often referred to as its semantic
f……………………….
•
• The word “it” is:
• Person ……………
• Number ………….
• Gender ……………
•
• 7. The word “she” has ………………….. Case.
• We can say that a noun refers to a real-world
individual or entity, while a verb refers to a
real-world action.
• A sentence refers to a real-world situation
•
• The general meaning of a word is often
referred to as its semantic frame
•
• The word “it” is:
• Person 3rd
• Number Singular
• Gender Neutral
• Gender ………………
• 7. The word “she” has Nominative Case.

Sem5