Making a Real Connection

Ethan Graves Blue 3

Spring 2012

SEMANTICS AND PRAGMATICS

DEFINITIONS

• Semantics – The linguistic study into the meaning of words.

• Pragmatics – The linguistic study into the context of language.

• Linguistic modes- Tools linguists use to study language.

SEMANTICS

• Gives the meaning of the words

• Looks at the root meaning

• Goes beyond the dictionary definition.

• Lexicons are used

SEMANTICS

• What is a lexicon?

• A lexicon is the most basic form of a word from which all the other versions come.

• Examples

• Ring

• Other forms

• Rang, Rung, Ringing

SEMANTICS

• Hadley’s shoe example:

• Hadley’s shoe is blue and orange.

PRAGMATICS

• Provides context to conversation

• Helps people read in between the lines

• Uses direct and indirect speech acts

• Takes social and cultural values/understood meanings into account.

PRAGMATICS

• Direct Speech Acts

• Definition- A direct statement without hidden meaning.

• Types

• Declarative

• Interrogative

• Imperative

PRAGMATICS

• Book Example

• “Pick up the books.”

PRAGMATICS

• Indirect Speech Acts

• Definition- Direct statement which can have a hidden meaning.

PRAGMATICS

• Kevin’s Job Example

• “Sam, have you finished the payroll yet?”

PRAGMATICS IN SOCIETY

• Sandwich Example

• “Woman, go make me a sandwich!”

SYNTHESIS

• Most of the time both linguistic modes are necessary to fully understand conversation.

• They work hand in hand.

SYNTHESIS

• Jamie Example

• “Jamie I have told you ten thousand times to pick up your room. Do not make me tell you again!” “Yes sir, I am coming to clean right now.”

CONCLUSION

• Semantics and Pragmatics are great linguistic modes.

• Without them people could not properly understand conversation.

• To quote Mrs. Harris, “Its not what one says, its how one says it.”

GOVERNING BODIES TO CONSULT

• Modern Language Association

• National Science Foundation

• Purdue Writing Lab

• University of Pennsylvania Department of Linguistics