semantics

semantics

1. truth conditions

   • evaluating truth conditions
     • you need to know under what conditions a sentence would be true or false
   • finding truth values
     • individuals (DPs) are referents
     • individuals dont have to be animate
   • knowing a sentence truth condition is knowing whether it is true or false
   • you need to find the truth condition of separate parts of the sentence

2. sense v reference

   • referent
     • real world object associated with expression
   • sense
     • concept that a word or phrase evokes- mental image
       • prime-minister
         • referent= theresa may
         • sense= leader of the governing party

3. predicates

   • things that introduce a relationship= VPS,PPS, APS
   • swims= set of individuals who swim

4. entailment

   • if A is true then so must B, because A entailes B

5. sentential synonymy

   • if two sentences have the same truth value they are phrases of eachother, or synonymous

6. antonym

   • opposite in meaning
   • types
     • binary
       • dead and alive- cant have degrees of
     • gradable
       • can have degrees of- tall-short
     • relationship
       • sell- buy, teacher- student

7. polysemy

   • a word with two or more related meanings

8. hyponym

   • a penguine is a hyponym of a bird which is a hyponym of an animal

9. meaning

   • denotation
     • entities to which a word or phrase referes
       • dog denotes the canine species
   • connotation
     • associations that a word evokes
       • booze connotates a overindulgent informal party

10. contradiction

    • when two sentences never have the same truth value

11. homonymy

    • words with the same form but different meanings
    • homography
      • sameness of spelling
    • homophony
      • sameness in pronunciation's

12. theta theory

    • concerned with the semantic functions a DP can take
    • understanding what a sentence means requires that you know what semantic roles each DP takes

13. thematic roles

    • agent
      • intentionally performs action
        • verbs assign
    • causer
      • non-intentionally causes events
    • experiencer
      • entity percieving something
    • theme
      • entity action is being performed on
    • source
      • origin point of action
    • goal
      • place the action is directed
        • prepositions assign
    • location
      • where the action takes place
    • instrument
      • entity used to perform action
    • beneficiary
      • entity action is performed for

14. lexical entries

    • laugh, V, selects DP agent subject
    • put, V, Cselects DP theme, DP goal, and selects DP agent subject
    • from, P, c selects DP source
    • To, P, c selects DP source
    • Christmas N