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    Different Ways of Defining Meaning

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    Wilda Fizriyani
    This document discusses different ways of defining meaning: 1. Real and nominal definitions - clarifying a given meaning versus giving the meaning of words. 2. Definition by ostension, synonymy, context or typical exemplar, and genus and differentia. Each method has benefits and limitations. 3. Definitions allow checking accuracy through substitution and examining semantic primitives, though definitions cannot completely break concepts down and criticisms of definitional theories exist.

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    Different Ways of Defining Meaning

    Uploaded by

    Wilda Fizriyani
    115 views11 pages
    This document discusses different ways of defining meaning: 1. Real and nominal definitions - clarifying a given meaning versus giving the meaning of words. 2. Definition by ostension, synonymy, context or typical exemplar, and genus and differentia. Each method has benefits and limitations. 3. Definitions allow checking accuracy through substitution and examining semantic primitives, though definitions cannot completely break concepts down and criticisms of definitional theories exist.

    Original Description:

    Semantik

    Original Title

    DIFFERENT WAYS OF DEFINING MEANING

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    This document discusses different ways of defining meaning: 1. Real and nominal definitions - clarifying a given meaning versus giving the meaning of words. 2. Definition by ostension, synonymy, context or typical exemplar, and genus and differentia. Each method has benefits and limitations. 3. Definitions allow checking accuracy through substitution and examining semantic primitives, though definitions cannot completely break concepts down and criticisms of definitional theories exist.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    115 views11 pages

    Different Ways of Defining Meaning

    Uploaded by

    Wilda Fizriyani
    This document discusses different ways of defining meaning: 1. Real and nominal definitions - clarifying a given meaning versus giving the meaning of words. 2. Definition by ostension, synonymy, context or typical exemplar, and genus and differentia. Each method has benefits and limitations. 3. Definitions allow checking accuracy through substitution and examining semantic primitives, though definitions cannot completely break concepts down and criticisms of definitional theories exist.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    of 11

    DIFFERENT WAYS OF

    DEFINING MEANING
    Wilda Fizriyani
    Real and Nominal
    01 Definition 03 Definition by Synonymy

    Definition by Context
    02 Definition by Ostension
    04 or Typical Exemplar

    05 Definiton by Genus
    and Differentia
    • Real Definition (clarifying a given meaning,
    descriptive drfinition)
    ex: Awan adalah uap air yang menguap ke udara disebabkan karena
    pemanasan laut yang disinari oleh matahari
    • Nominal Definition (giving the meaning of words,
    simple definition)
    ex: Suami adalah pria yang sudah menikah
    Definition by
    Ostension
    • by pointing out the objects which
    they denote.
    • In spite of the apparent obviousness
    of this method, it is beset by
    difficulties.
    • Verbs, adjectives and prepositions are
    not open to this defi nitional method,

    Ex:
    a black cat running along a wall
    Definition by Synonymy
    To define words by providing synonyms, in
    either the same language as the word being
    defined or in a different one.

    ex: Pria = laki-laki (bahasa Indonesia)

    The problem with this strategy is that it is


    usually
    possible to challenge the identity between the
    definiens (the metalanguage word proposed
    as the definition; Latin ‘defining’) and the
    definiendum

    Ex: mad, furiuous = angry

    mad = insane, furious= very angry


    Definition by Context or
    Typical Exemplar
    01 02
    Definition by Definition
    Context by Typical
    Only works if the definition’s Exemplar
    addressee correctly infers the intended
    Another example of
    meaning on the basis of the cue
    this relational strategy
    given.
    Ex: vogel = swans,,
    Ex: scratch (verb) geese, hens, magpies, etc.
    (bird)
    Definiton
    05 by Genus
    and
    Differentia
    Definion by
    Genus
    the broader class to which the
    definiendum belongs

    Definion by
    Differentia
    showing the distinguishing feature of
    the definiendum (the differentia)
    ex: Man (human being) as rational
    animal
    Man (genus: animal, differentia:
    rationality)
    Ex a puppy is young dog
    Definition and substitutability

    How can the


    Substitution of the definiens for the
    accuracy of a definiendum should be truth
    definition be preserving in all contexts.
    checked?

    I balanced the plank on my Now, children, you have to


    ‘Keep in equilibrium’ as head. balance the egg on the
    the definition of spoon.
    balance
    She balanced the ball on
    the end of the bat I’ve never managed to
    balance the demands of
    work and play
    Semantic primitives

    01 02 03
    The most thorough- I, you, someone, people,
    Cannot be going something/thing, body; this, the
    same, other, one, two, some, all,
    completely broken example of a theory of much/many; good, bad, big,
    down into anything semantic primitives in small, think, know, want, feel, see,
    hear, say, words, true, do happen,
    conceptually modern linguistics is move, there is, have, live, die,
    the when/time, now, before, after a
    simpler. Natural Semantic long time, a short time, for some
    time, where/place, here, above,
    Metalanguage (NSM) below, far, near, side, inside, not,
    theory of Wierzbicka maybe, can, because, if, very,
    and Goddard. more, kind of, part of, like.
    One of the most frequent criticisms of
    definitional theories of semantics is that no
    Problems satisfying definition of a word has ever
    actually been formulated. The scepticism
    with about the existence of definitions is so
    widespread,
    definitions
    Definition,
    understandin
    • Definitions function as the
    guarantors of the consistency of
    g and use
    language
    • Take on a central role in language
    use if we take concepts to be
    essentially definitional in nature,
    THANK
    YOU

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