Definitions
Define a morpheme, give an example.
= the smallest indivisible unit carrying lexical meaning or grammatical function
e.g. our, teacher, match, drink...
What problem does this example pose to the concept of morpheme?
Wednesday
cranberry morpheme = doesn't occur in any other word
has no clear meaning or grammatical function, but distinguishes one word from the other
The denotation of a language expression are pragmatic effects that arise from encyclopaedic knowledge about its connotation (or referent) and also from experience, beliefs and prejudices about the contexts in which that expressiion is typically used.
TRUE OR FALSE?
TRUE
Give denotation and connotation of the word:
hand
denotation = part of the body at the end of the arm, consisting of fingers and palm
connotation = e.g. Strength, support, and protection (e.g., "a helping hand" or "arms of protection")
Give example to affective meaning.
ouch, yuck, darling, freak
Define a free root, give example.
= a root that can stand alone as a word
e.g. teach, book, law
What problem do these example pose to the concept of morpheme?
men, was
What are onomatopoeid words? Give example.
= imitating the sound
e.g. clang, clash, buzz, cling, splash
fish (animal)
denotation: A cold-blooded aquatic animal with gills, fins, and usually scales, living in water.
connotation: e.g. Nourishment and sustenance (e.g., "fish as food" symbolizing health or survival).
Give an example of collocative meaning.
strong coffee
= abstract unit of vocabulary (entry in the dictionary) that has a meaning, function
simple: teach, table, nice, fast, sister
complex: teacher, unpredictable, impossible
compound: teacup, power station, frying pan
What problem do these examples pose to the concept of morpheme?
retract, detract, contract
bound root = bound morpheme with lexical content, comes from different language
- same root, the meaning not connected though
What is the concept of linguistic sign?
the relationship between the signifier (the form of a word or symbol) and the signified (the concept or meaning it represents), where this connection is arbitrary and socially agreed upon
Give denotation and connotation of:
red
denotation: A primary color resembling the color of blood or ripe tomatoes, with a wavelength of approximately 620–750 nm.
connotation: Love and passion (e.g., red roses, Valentine's Day).
Give an example of reflected meaning.
erection, intercourse
Define bound/free morpheme and lexical/grammatical morpheme. Give example for each.
bound morpheme = attached to other morphemes, never occurs on its own (-ing, -s)
free morpheme = don't have to be attached (our, match, drink)
lexical morpheme = have meaning, content (e.g. -er, write)
grammatical morpheme = grammatical, function words (e.g. -ed, of, a)
What problem do these example pose to the concept of morpheme?
gusto, disgusting, gustatory
bound roots
Explain what are phonoesthemes, give example.
= sound symbolism
e.g. snarl, snore, sniff, sniffle, snort... = sn = sound of a sniffling our nose
Give denotation and connotation of:
sleep
denotation: A natural, periodic state of rest in which consciousness is suspended and the body recovers and regenerates.
connotation: Peace and calm (e.g., "sleeping like a baby").
Give example to each of these social meanings:
slang
dialect
archaism
neologism
Define inflectional and derivational morpheme. Give examples.
inflectional = grammatical, change the grammatical form of a word (e.g., "books" has the inflectional morpheme "-s" for plural)
derivational = serve to create new words or change the word class (e.g. "un-" in "unlawfulness" changes the meaning of "law")
Random question:
Which of these expression characterise a lexicon and which the system of grammar?
open word classes ♣ nouns ♣ fixed inventory ♣ borrowing ♣ closed word classes ♣ rules ♣ creativity ♣ adjectives ♣ prepositions ♣ conjunctions ♣ number (sg. and pl.) ♣ polysemy ♣ precise meaning ♣ fuzzy meaning ♣ changing inventory (items come and go frequently)
L L G L G G L L G G L L G L L
Explain what is meant by the arbitrariness of the linguistic sign and give an example of a non-arbitrary sign.
= no obvious connection between sound or symbol and meaning
onomatopoetic, phonoesthemes -e.g. buzz, cling, sniff
Give denotation and connotation of:
summer
denotation: The warmest season of the year, occurring between spring and autumn, typically marked by long days and high temperatures.
connotation: Freedom and relaxation (e.g., school holidays, vacations).
Give example of thematic meaning.
The window was broken by John.