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7 Types of Meaning
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Semantics:
Semantics is the branch of linguistics which means the study of meanings. It does not only deals with the meaning of the words but also the meaning of phrases and sentences.
Semantics also deals with the meaning of signs or symbols, sounds, facial expressions, body language, etc.
As semantics deals with the meaning, so we have different types of meaning.
Types of Meaning:
Geoffrey Leech is a specialist in English linguistics. His main interests were English Grammar, Stylistics, Pragmatics, and Semantics. Geoffrey Leech in his book "Semantics-A Study of Meaning" in 1947 breaks down the meaning in different types. G.L made research on meaning and the result of this research confirmed that there are seven types of meaning.
Conceptual Meaning
Conceptual meaning is the essential or core meaning of the word. It deals with the dictionary or real meaning of any word. Conceptual meaning is logical, real, cognitive, literal, or dictionary meaning and it does not vary from situation to situation.
Forexample;
Boy: Human + male + adult
Needle: Thin, sharp, or an instrument
The purpose of conceptual meaning is to provide an appropriate and logical semantic representation to a sentence or statement.
Connotative Meaning
Connotative meaning is the implied, or contextual meaning that varies according to situation, age, and culture. It is also called associative, expressive, stylistic, or open ended meaning.
Forexample;
As conceptual meaning of the needle is thin, sharp or an instrument but there can be many connotations of this word. Different people might have different associations with this word. They might associate it with pain, illness, blood, drug, thread, knitting, or hard to find. These associations may differ from person to person.
Social Meaning
This meaning is related to society or organization. We can only identify social meaning of a word if we know stylistic variations of the language.
Forexample;
If someone is using "abay yaar" in the conversation so we can easily interpret that he/she is from Karachi. Similarly,
"Come on yaar, be a sport. Don't be a Lallu."
The above line tells us about the speaker that he/she is talking to close friend who is from India. The style shows the geographical region or social class of the speaker.
Effective or Emotive Meaning
It refers to the emotions or the effect of words on the readers or listeners.
Forexample;
"I hate you, you idiot."
Here, speaker seems to have very negative attitude towards his listener. This is effective meaning.
Words like "darling", "sweetheart", "honey" also express feelings.
Reflected Meaning
Reflected meaning arises when a word has more than one conceptual or real meaning.
Forexample;
The word "dear" has two meanings.
i) Used for affection
"My dear friend"
ii) Britishers use this word in order to say "expensive"
"Five pounds _ that's a bit dear."
Collocative Meaning
Collocative meaning arises when a word acquires meaning in the company of certain words. Words collocate, appear, or occur with certain words only.
Forexample;
"Wander" and "stroll" have same meaning but they use in different context and collocation.
Thematic Meaning
Thematic meaning depends on the arrangements of the words. It concerns itself with how the order of words spoken effects the meaning that is entailed. It is the matter of grammatical constructions.
Forexample;
If two sentences have same conceptual meaning then their thematic meaning or theme will be somehow different.
Active: Ali broke the window.
Passive: The window was broken by Ali.
In 1st sentence theme is "Ali" but in the second sentence the focus is window rather than Ali, so here theme is "the window".
In this lesson, the writer narrates a very beautiful story based on maternal love, not only for the children but also for the whole family. It also explains the strength and depth of close relationships like mother-daughter, father-daughter, and husband-wife. Minta is the strongest and central character of this story. She evolves a lot through the course of the story. She is shown as a careless girl in the beginning. Minta's father takes her to the beach. He takes her to the other part of the beach, where there are no people but only the jagged pile of rocks that jutted out into the bay. There, he tells her that her mother is ill and that she will die. When she learns the fact that her mother is going to die and that she will not be able to join Marry Hills college this year, she is sad, and this sadness grows inside her, making her stronger than before. She confronts several nightmares, inner conflicts, random thoughts, and sleeplessness; she lives with the burden of the secret t...
Introduction "Leisure" by William Henry Davies is a short yet profound poem that invites readers to reevaluate the pace of their lives and appreciate the beauty in simplicity. In this blog, we will conduct a line-by-line analysis of this timeless poem, uncovering the depth of its message and the relevance it holds in our modern, fast-paced world. Line 1: "What is this life if, full of care," Analysis: The opening line immediately poses a rhetorical question, challenging the reader to reflect on the nature of life itself. The word "care" hints at the burdens and responsibilities that often consume our existence, prompting us to question the quality of life when overwhelmed by concerns. Line 2: "We have no time to stand and stare." Analysis: The poem's central theme is introduced here—lack of time for leisure and contemplation. The phrase "stand and stare" signifies the act of slowing down, observing, and appreciating the wor...
USMAN ALI: “Usman Ali” an international Pakistani writer, playwright, and literary figure of our society. He was born in Mandi Bahauddin, Punjab and completed his M.phill from Punjab University Lahore. Now he is associated with University of Gujrat and University of Sargodha. Usman Ali, the founder of Ali’s theater wrote many plays such as The Prisoner, The Guilt, The Odyssey, The Breath, The Flute, and The Last Metaphor which are performed and published in Pakistan. In 2014, he received “Toufeeq Raffat Prize” for drama. "THE LAST METAPHOR" by Usman Ali: Pakistani Anglophone drama is the least discussed and least celebrated genre under the umbrella of Pakistani Postcolonial Literature. Pakistani drama, however, has its own flavour and dynamics, especially when it is written in the age of postmodernism. This three-Act play “The Last Metaphor” shows resemblance with the drama “Waiting for Godot” by “Samuel Beckett”. It has no particular division of th...
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