SEMANTICS - the study of meaning in language

SEMIOTICS - the study of sign systems

seme - Greek word for 'sign'

meaning - the function of signs in language 

                   the meaning of a word is its use in the language (Wittgenstein)

TWO VIEWS OF MEANING

NATURALIST VIEW (PLATO) - meaning is primarily iconic, motivated

CONVENTIONALIST VIEW (ARISTOTLE) - meaning mostly unmotivated, symbolic

etymology - studying the origin of words

other ways of defining meaning

concept - the total real-world information about something

meaning - the core aspect of a concept expressed in language

SENSE - how a word relates to other words in a language

REFERENCE - what the word points to in real life

a.) Cherokee n´&da means the sun as well as moon. 

b.) Russian ruka, hand or arm --kist'   ruki specifically means hand.

c.) English hand vs. Cherokee atisa (right hand), akskani (left hand)

d.) English uncle vs. stru¡ko (dad's brother) vs. ujo (mom's brother)

e.) Pitjantjatjara (Australian)

      kamuru --bio. brother of female parent

      ngunytju-- bio. sister of female parent or female parent

        kurntili --bio. sister of male parent           

      mama-- bio. brother of male parent or male parent

f) Color terms in Welsh and English

English                        green   |           blue       |           gray               |           brown 

Welsh           gwyrdd    |     glas (Engl. blue + color of plants)     |   llwydd

BASIC COLOR TERM - a term that cannot be defined as a subvariety of another color term in the same language

Berlin and Kay (1969) wrote Basic Color Systems

      A            B         C           D                 E

black/white    +  red    +  yellow   +  blue          + purple, pink                                                                                                                                     green                     brown    orange, grey

componential analysis (Anna Wierzbicka) - meanings can be broken down into a limited, universal set of semantic components (LARGE/SMALL, GOOD/BAD, etc.)

Meaning and syntax

free phrase - any synonym will do:  good food, tasty food, great food, etc.

set phrase (collocation) - only one word must be used:  make haste, eye of the needle, loud tie

    simple collocation - a set phrase that still makes sense

    idiom (Idiomatic collocation) - a set phrase that seems non-sensical if taken literally:  kick the bucket, white elephant sale, soap opera, break a leg (good luck)