This day school provides an introduction to the field of general linguistics known as semantics. It makes more explicit the knowledge about meaning that every speaker has and you will gain an understanding of the core ideas and elements of semantic analysis.
The event considers the richness and subtlety of meaning and the different ways in which meaning is conveyed in language, covering not only semantic matters but also topics which usually fall under pragmatics. It is designed for non-specialists in the areas of language study and linguistics who need an introduction to topics which feed into a broader examination of language and language in use.
The day will consider:
- The meaning of words and of units larger than the word (phrases and sentences). We will see that the meaning of a sentence is only partially a function of the meaning of the words it contains.
- Lexical relations, ie the relations of sense that exist between words. It will be shown that words are semantically related to one another in a variety of ways.
- Aspects of meaning that depend on context and the communicative intentions of speakers. Here we look at the influence of context on the communicative content of utterances.
Please note: this event will close to enrolments at 23:59 BST on 4 June 2025.