| CODE | LIN1180 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Semantics | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 2 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Institute of Linguistics and Language Technology | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | When we informally think about linguistic meaning, we tend to confuse the meaning that is encoded in natural language expressions and sentences, with that which is communicated in context. The aim of semantic theory is to isolate those aspects of meaning that are language-internal and hence immune to contextual intrusions. The study-unit will proceed in the following stages: 1. A historical overview of different approaches to the analysis of meaning. This will include brief incursions into philosophical approaches (from Plato to Frege), with a view to tracing their impact on contemporary theories of linguistic semantics; 2. An introduction to the basic concepts of semantic theory, including sense, denotation and reference; 3. An introduction to lexical semantics, with a focus on lexical fields and meaning relations as well as classical approaches to word meaning such as decompositional and definitional theories; 4. An introduction to propositional/sentence meaning. Data for analysis and exemplification will be drawn from English, Maltese and other languages. During the study-unit, students will be assigned tasks that will help them exercise the skills acquired during lectures. Study-unit Aims The aim of this unit is to familiarise students with the terminology and tools needed for the analysis of linguistically encoded meaning. During the lectures, the students will be assigned tasks that will help them exercise the skills acquired and deepen their understanding of the relevant concepts. Learning Outcomes 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - identify the basic concerns, concepts, and terminology of linguistic semantics; - understand how lexical and sentential linguistic meaning has been traditionally analysed; - explore the connection(s) of semantics and pragmatics with each other. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - engage in semantic analysis of words and sentences; - apply the knowledge acquired in this unit to other fields of enquiry within linguistics, such as language acquisition or natural language processing. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings Main texts: - Saeed, J. 2003. Semantics. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. Supplementary readings: - Cruse, A. 2000. Meaning in Language: An Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. - Heim, I. & Kratzer, A. 1998. Semantics in Generative Grammar. Oxford: Blackwell. - Hurford, J.R., Heasley, B. & Smith, M.B. 2007. Semantics: A Coursebook (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. - Jaszczolt, K.M. 2002. Semantics and Pragmatics: Meaning in Language and Discourse. London: Longman. - Kaerns, K. 2000. Semantics. Basingstoke: Macmillan. - Kempson, R.M. 1977. Semantic Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. - Leech, G. 1974. Semantics. Penguin. - Loebner, S. 2002. Understanding Semantics. London: Edward Arnold. - Loppin, S. 1996. The Handbook of Contemporary Semantic Theory. Oxford: Blackwell. - Lyons, J. 1995. Linguistic Semantics: An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. - Lyons, J. 1977. Semantics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. - Palmer, F.R. 1981. Semantics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. |
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| RULES/CONDITIONS | In TAKING THIS UNIT YOU CANNOT TAKE LIN1080 | |||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | |||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Stavros Assimakopoulos |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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