introduction to english linguistics (i) -...
TRANSCRIPT
Ch. 3. Semantics (3) (159-166)
1. Semantic Features
2. Evidence for Semantic Features
3. Semantic Features and Grammar
4. Argument Structure
5. Thematic Roles
1. Semantic Features
• Semantic features
= semantic properties;
= semantic markers
• The assassin killed Thwacklehurst. .....???
• 라면, 떡볶이, 짜장면, 냉면, 계란덮밥, 초밥, 김밥, 된장찌개, 생선튀김, 꽁치조림, 피자, 김치찌개, 된장국, 닭발, 치킨, 스파게티, 쌀국수, 햄버거, 송편, 오곡밥, 불고기, 갈비
민주주의, 삼겹살, 잔치국수, 오뎅백반…
• 라면, 떡볶이, 짜장면, 냉면, 계란덮밥, 초밥, 김밥, 된장찌개, 생선튀김, 꽁치조림, 피자, 김치찌개, 된장국, 닭발, 치킨, 스파게티, 쌀국수, 햄버거, 송편, 오곡밥, 불고기, 갈비
민주주의, 삼겹살, 잔치국수, 오뎅백반…
±edible
±concrete ±living ±animate ±human
±adult ±cause ±motion ±contact
±creation ±sense....
※ metalanguage
• You is wrong here.
• I does not fit in this blank.
• Book
• Building
• Desk
• Tree
• Shelf
• Bowl
• Clock
+CONCRETE
Concrete • adj. 1. Of or relating to an actual, specific thing or instance;
particular: had the concrete evidence needed to convict. • 2. Existing in reality or in real experience; perceptible by the
senses; real: concrete objects such as trees. • 3. Formed by the coalescence of separate particles or parts into
one mass; solid. • 4. Made of hard, strong, conglomerate construction material.
• n. 1. A hard, strong construction material consisting of sand,
conglomerate gravel, pebbles, broken stone, or slag in a mortar or cement matrix.
• 2. A mass formed by the coalescence of particles.
• v. con·cret·ed, con·cret·ing, con·cretes • v.tr. 1. To build, treat, or cover with hard, strong conglomerate
construction material. • 2. To form into a mass by coalescence or cohesion of particles or
parts. • v.intr. To harden; solidify.
2. Evidence for Semantic Features
• speech errors
Intended Actual • bridge of the nose bridge of the neck
• when my gums bled when my tongue bled
• he came too late he came too early
• Mary was young Mary was early
• the lady with the dachshund he lade with the Volkswagen
• that's a horse of another color that's a horse of another race
• he has to pay her alimony he has to pay her rent
• his ancestors were farmers his descendants were farmers
3. Semantic Features and Grammar
3.1 Semantic Features of Nouns
3.2 Semantic Features of Verbs
3.1 Semantic Features of Nouns
• tigress, hen, aunt, maiden, doe, mare, widow,
girl, woman... >> 'female'
• doctor, dean, professor, bachelor, parent, boy,
girl, child, baby... >> 'human'
• baby, child >> 'young‘
• father, uncle, bachelor >> 'male' 'adult'
[Count vs Mass nouns]
• I have two dogs. *I have two rice(s).
• I have a dog. *I have a rice.
• *I have dog. I have rice.
• He has many dogs. *He has many rice(s).
• *He has much dogs. He has much rice.
• Count nouns: enumeration, pluralization,
w/ indefinite determiner, w/ quantifier many *much
• cf. French toast vs. a French toast
• Count vs. Mass:
= discrete object vs. homogeneous substance
• difficulties: hair, furniture, spaghetti ...
mass in English, count in Italian
Some hair is curly.
Much furniture is poorly made.
John loves spaghetti.
• Italian
Ivano ha mangiato molti spaghetti ieri sera.
(Ivano ate many spaghettis last evening.)
Piero ha comprato un mobile.
(Piero bought a furniture.)
Luisella ha pettinato i suoi capelli.
(Luisella combed her hairs.)
• Even within a language:
shoes (count)
footwear (mass)
coin (count)
change (mass)
3.2 Semantic Features of Verbs
• darken, kill, beautify, feed... >> 'cause‘
darken: cause to become dark
kill: cause to die
uglify: cause to become ugly
• swim, crawl, throw, fly, give, buy... >> 'go‘
Jack swims.
The baby crawled under the table.
The boy threw the ball over the fence.
John gave Mary a beautiful engagement ring.
• Jack swims.
• The baby crawled under the table.
• The boy threw the ball over the fence.
• John gave Mary a beautiful engagement ring.
• swim: 'in liquid'
• crawl: 'close to a surface'
• break: 'become' 'cause'
• [Events vs. States]
• Eventives:
• Mary was kissed by John. Oysters were eaten by John.
• John is kissing Mary. John is eating oysters.
• Kiss Mary! Eat oysters!
• John deliberately kissed Mary. John deliberately ate oysters.
• Statives:
• ?Mary is known by John. ?Oysters are liked by John.
• ?John is knowing Mary. ?John is liking oysters.
• ?Know Mary! ?Like oysters!
• ?John deliberately knows Mary. ? John deliberately likes oysters.
• [Negation (NPI: negative polarity item)]
• *Mary will ever smile. (Mary will not ever smile.)
• *I can visit you anymore. (I cannot visit you anymore.)
• *It's worth a red cent. (It's not worth a red cent.)
• NPI and doubt/despair vs. think/hope
• *John thinks that he'll ever fly a plane again.
• *John hopes that he'll ever fly a plane again.
• John doubts that he'll ever fly a plane again.
• John despairs that he'll ever fly a plane again.
>> doubt: 'think that not'
despair: 'has no hope'
4. Argument Structure
• Transitive verbs (find, hit, chase...):
c-select direct object complement.
• Intransitive verbs (arrive, sleep...):
do not c-select direct object complement.
• Ditransitive verbs (give, throw...):
c-select two object complements.
• Most verbs take a subject.
• NPs that occur with a verb >>> "arguments“
• The argument structure of a verb is part of its
meaning and is included in its lexical entry.
• The verb determines the number of arguments, limits
the semantic properties of subject and object.
• cf. Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
• The verb meaning determines the choice of complements:
1. John threw/tossed/kicked/flung the boy the ball.
2. *John pushed/pulled/lifted/hauled the boy the ball.
3. Mary faxed/radioed/e-mailed/phoned Helen the news.
4. *Mary murmured/mumbled/muttered/shrieked Helen the news.
• 1&2: verbs of motion
1: single quick motion
2: prolonged use of force
• 3&4: verbs of communication
3: involves external apparatus
4: uses voice
• 1&3: transfer direct object to indirect object
5. Thematic Roles
A. agent, theme, goal, source
(1) The boy rolled a red ball.
agent theme
(2) The boy threw the red ball to the girl.
agent theme goal
(3) Professor Snape awakened Harry Potter with his wand.
source experiencer instrument
B. Theta assignment: thematic role assignment
(4) John sold the book to Mary.
agent theme goal
(5) Mary bought the book from John.
agent theme source
Thematic roles remain the same in paraphrases.
(6) The dog bit the stick. / The stick was bitten by the dog.
(7) The trainer gave the dog a treat. /
The trainer gave a treat to the dog.
• Uniformity of theta assignment
> According to Universal Grammar, the various
thematic roles are always in their proper
structural place in deep structure.
(8) the dog bit the stick →
d-structure
the stick was bitten ____ by the dog
s-structure
• Thematic roles may remain in the same
position in non-paraphrases.
(9) The boy opened the door with the key.
(10) The key opened the door.
(11) The door opened.
(12) _____ opened the door → The door opened _____.
d-structure s-structure
Exercise
• The boy took the books from the cupboard with a handcart.
• Mary found a ball.
• The children ran from the playground to the wading pool
• One of the men unlocked all the doors with a paper clip.
• John melted the ice with a blowtorch.
• Helen looked for a cockroach.
• Helen saw a cockroach.
• Helen screamed.
• The ice melted.
• With a telescope, the boy saw the man.
• The farmer loaded the hay onto the truck.
• The farmer loaded the hay with a pitchfork.
• The hay was loaded on the truck by the farmer.
• Helen heard music coming out of the speaker.
Thank you!
See you next week!