Meaning and Context 2.Extra-linguistic context context of situation: (1)The actual speech situation in which a word (or an utterance,or a speech event)occurs. (operation,the third) (2)The entire cultural background against which a word,an utterance or a speech event has to be set,. (peasant,liberalism,road)
2. Extra-linguistic context / context of situation: (1) The actual speech situation in which a word (or an utterance, or a speech event) occurs. (operation, the third) (2) The entire cultural background against which a word, an utterance or a speech event has to be set,. (peasant, liberalism, road) Meaning and Context
Meaning and Context The vital role of context in determination of word meaning: 1.Eliminating ambiguities (1)Lexical ambiguity due to polysemy: Please give me a camel. He was seated by the chairman. She has driven to the bank
The vital role of context in determination of word meaning: 1. Eliminating ambiguities (1) Lexical ambiguity due to polysemy: Please give me a camel. He was seated by the chairman. She has driven to the bank. Meaning and Context
Meaning and Context (2)Syntactic/Grammatical/Structural ambiguity: arising from the grammatical analysis of a sentence or a phrase. a.Mary likes the vase on the cupboard which she bought yesterday. b.I love Alice more than Mary. c.Jane doesn't dance to please her mother. d.SHIP SINK TODAY. e.old men and women. f.Flying planes may be dangerous
Meaning and Context (2) Syntactic/Grammatical/Structural ambiguity: arising from the grammatical analysis of a sentence or a phrase. a. Mary likes the vase on the cupboard which she bought yesterday. b. I love Alice more than Mary. c. Jane doesn’t dance to please her mother. d. SHIP SINK TODAY. e. old men and women. f. Flying planes may be dangerous
Meaning and Context (3)Phonological ambiguity a.Long time no /si:/. b.My son had a /'grei'dei/today. c.I've never seen a human being killed. We can use the ambiguous phenomena in language (pun to achieve the desired result in commercial ads or to create some humorous artistic atmosphere: a.More sun and air for your son and heir. b.On Sunday they pray for you and on Monday they prey on you
(3) Phonological ambiguity a. Long time no /si:/. b. My son had a /’grei’dei/ today. c. I’ve never seen a human being killed. We can use the ambiguous phenomena in language (pun ) to achieve the desired result in commercial ads or to create some humorous artistic atmosphere: a. More sun and air for your son and heir. b. On Sunday they pray for you and on Monday they prey on you. Meaning and Context
Meaning and Context 2.Conveying emotional overtones: Every emotionally neutral lexical item can acquire emotional overtones in certain contexts. The word "wall"in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream (Act V,scene l): 'Thou wall,O wall,O sweet and lovely wall, Show me thy chink,to blink through with mine eyne. Thanks courteous wall.Jove shield thee well for this... O wicked wall,through whom I see no bliss; Cure'd be thy stones for thus deceiving me!
Meaning and Context 2. Conveying emotional overtones: Every emotionally neutral lexical item can acquire emotional overtones in certain contexts. The word “wall” in Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream (Act V, scene I): “Thou wall, O wall, O sweet and lovely wall, Show me thy chink, to blink through with mine eyne. Thanks courteous wall. Jove shield thee well for this… O wicked wall, through whom I see no bliss; Cure’d be thy stones for thus deceiving me!