Semantics and Lexicology

Generativist semantics

From structuralist semantics

Semantic features, components

From generative, formal syntax

Putting meanings together Using formal, structure-internal, rules Mentalism, user judgements

To what extent is meaning relevant in syntax?

Autonomuos syntax Morris, Carnap: syntax, semantics and pragmatics Formal syntax in mathematics and logic Chomsky, Syntactic structures, 1957

Introduction of semantics to generative grammar Katz & Fodor

Split: Interpretive semantics and generative semantics

Katz et al.

Markers and distinguishers Projections rules Selection restrictions

Formal rules vs judgements in context

Can formal rules make the right choice among senses of lexical items?

Lexical components and syntactic combination

Markers should express meaning that is syntactically relevant

Linguistic meaning and world knowledge

Analytic and synthetic sentences

What is lexical and what is grammatical?

The enemy destroyed the city → the destruction of the city by the enemy ?

(cause x (become (not (alive y)))) → x kill y ?

How much is lexical?

Lexicalism in Generative grammar Lexical rules in Lexical functional grammar Construction grammar

Meaning: internal and external

Structuralism: paradigmatic relations Generativism: internal relations, formal, mental,

syntactic; rationalism Reintroduction of the external world:

Formal logic with truth conditions World knowledge, frames Experiential basis in cognition

How much world knowledge should be included?

Formal semantics ”Neostructuralist semantics” Computational linguistics Cognitive linguistics

Contributions

Combination of meaning Mental, cognitive perspective

Problems

Semantic combination rather than syntactic combination of meaning is needed

Relations to the empirical world World knowledge Contextual application