The document discusses the theory of meaning as formulated by Ogden and Richards in 1927, emphasizing that words possess multiple meanings dependent on context and individual interpretation. It covers various components, including the definition theory and the symbolic nature of language, illustrating that meaning arises from human experiences rather than being fixed. The work also introduces the semantic triangle, which connects thoughts, symbols, and referents to explain how meanings are constructed.

1. The Theory of Meaning by
Richard and Ogden
Zaryab
BS English 2018
Roll No : 036

2. Introduction
The Theory of Meaning
Theory of proper meaning superstition
Theory of definitions
Metaphor
Theory of symbols
Semantics triangle
Content

3. The Theory of meaning is Given by Ogden and Richard in
1927.
 Richards analyzed the human communication (how
human communicate and why they choose the method
they do) and co-formulated a theory which is named as
The Theory of Meaning
This theory is not only define that how human give
meanings to their language and the approaches that
human take when communicating but also to understand
that how communication lost if it will not done correctly.
Introduction

4. The Theory of Meaning.
The Theory of Meaning
The Theory of Meaning is a concept that has been
present in communication since first human learned to
communicate.
As a communicators, we all aware that every thing which
we say have some concepts in our mind as well as those
to whom we share our words.
. The fundamental difference between how we previously
looked at meaning and how Richards and Ogden
analyzed the meaning which argued by other Scholars
that one word have one correct meaning.

5. Richards and Ogden define this theory as each word is not
associated with a single correct meaning but each word have
different meanings for different person or the meaning are not reside
in word it is reside in humans (Erikstad 1998).
For example the word glass, now there are variations in the meaning
of this word among peoples. If a person were ask someone, what is
the meaning of glass, he or she would be pertaining it by the mirror,
someone else would be pertaining it with sun glasses, someone
would be pertaining it with water glass. So the meaning of glass is
different for people by the situation.
Proper Meaning Superstition Theory

6. Metaphor
Richards and Ogden use metaphor to define
meaning.
Metaphor helps in the creation of definitions
by making a link between words and Ideas by
human or experiences which he or she and the
audience shared.

7. Definition Theory :
In order to correct the problem of “Meaning theory”
Richards and Ogden developed another theory “The
Definition Theory”.
According to this theory when a person speak she or he
chooses means different things to different people.
The best term to define it is ambiguity by one.
To solve the ambiguity problem we have to define
things with the relation to different things or to define
the various term and concepts (Erikstad 1998).

8. The Theory of symbols
Finally Ogden and Richards developed the Theory of
symbols.
According to this theory symbols are arbitrary by
themselves.
When they merged with each other then they created a
meaning by using ideas which is being expressed.
Ogden and Richards stated that words give different
meanings according to context in which they used
because they are variable (Erikstad 1998)

9. Example
A good example is text, text is meaningless by itself as it
draw no relation by outside itself however we combine text
with any picture or other words, only then we create a
workable definition.
And this is the fundamental principle behind Richards and
Ogden theory.

10. Semantics Triangle
In order to define direct relation between thoughts and symbols
Richards and Ogden created the "semantic triangle".
thought
Through semantics triangle, Richards and Ogden believe that they
have found a way to connect all the words with their meanings.
referent
symbol

11. Example
For instance the word black is define in arbitrary
relationship as symbol and thought, black is a
symbol (a word) have arbitrary thoughts that
black means fear, bad and sacred, while some
consider as respect by their culture, as symbol
and referent, black has no meaning by itself till
we will not introduced other colors to define
black, like black is black because it is not red.