Concept and Definition of Semantics

 Concept and Definition of Semantics

Summary Semantic 1

Semantics as a term was first formally used by Breal in 1897. Hence, we can deduce that Breal was the first to bring to the fore in a formally acceptable way, the nature of meaning in language. In minangkabau all of the world dikaji secara filosofis. 

Example : mangakeh ( in indonesian meaning is hard work) 

More

Contemporary philosophical semantics. it can be traced to the works of the following authors: Rudolf Carnap [1891 - 1970], Alfred Tarski [Born 1902] and Charles Peirce [1839 -1914]. Linguistic meaning has been a topic of philosophical interest since ancient times. In the first decades of the 20th century, it became one of the central concerns of philosophy in the English-speaking world. This development can be attributed to an interaction of several trends in various disciplines. From the middle of the 19th century onward, logic, the formal study of reasoning, underwent a period of growth unparalleled since the time of Aristotle (384–322 BCE).

This first attempt to study meanings by philosophers brought about the area of semantics called philosophical semantics. Philosophical semantics examines the relationship between linguistic expressions and the phenomena they refer to in the external world. Philosophical semantics focuses on examining the conditions under which such linguistic expressions and the phenomena they refer to are true or false. This can be traced to as far back as Plato’s and Aristotle’s works.

The Relation of Semantics with other Disciplines 

1. Philoshoper: they impact their subject for performative and peech (Austin), presupposition (Strawson), and implicature (Grice) on linguistic but for an older and more traditional area of philoshopie that has interested linguist is that of logic. Logic makes use of concept that are found in ordinary language.

 2. Anthropologist: concern to languge as essential cultural and behaviour. In linguistic area they use context of situation(Malinowsky). In context situation,it does not even discuss which context can be handle in systematic way, to provide a statement meaning.

 3. Psychology: the role of meaning is important, even dealing with grammatical issues, than one would have guessed from reading most linguistic work on the subject. The grammer seems quite explicit on meaning to help us with interpretation

Linguistic meaning has been a topic of philosophical interest since ancient times. In the first decades of the 20th century, it became one of the central concerns of philosophy in the English-speaking world.

Ferdinand de Saussure proposes, the theory of nature of the linguistic sign -semeion – is an entity resulting from the relationship obtaining between the signifier - semainon - (i.e.the sound or graphic aspect of the word), the signified - semainomenon (i.e. the notion) and the object thus named - tynkhanon -, a very clear distinction, therefore, between reference and meaning as postulated much later by Ogden and Richards in the famous "triangle" that goes by their name.

Semantics which examines the relationship between linguistic expressions and the phenomena they refer to in the external world. Semantics is the study of the meaning of expressions using logical systems or calculi. 

Semantics is a very broad field, since it involves the elements of the structure and function of language, which is closely related to psychology, philosophy and anthropology, and sociology.

Example : hotel, wisma, kost, and vitta. They are same build, but different meaning and word. 

Major concerns on semantics relate to meaning including naming, concept, sense and reference. Naming as a semantic process derives from the understanding that words are names or labels for things. The major problem with this naming view of semantics is that it is only nouns and nominal expressions that can be analyzed semantically. In addition, abstract nuns like love, hatred, truth will be difficult to explain since they are not living things.

Example : 

Word of  janda, mantan istri in indonesian. In indonesian janda is the women had married and after that she is divorce with her husband. 

Another example: water, in islam water have 2 kinds: air suci mensucikan, such as: air hujan and air tidak suci mensucikan: air kopi , and than air najis: air seni. 

Concepts mediate between the mind constructs and objects in the real world. It emphasizes the power of the mind to make images and to associate these images to objects and ideas.

Example : in indonesia “ anjing kurok” it’s can call to animal and can also kata kasar, but in real world. It’s a dog. 

 Sense explains the system of linguistic relationships which a lexical item contracts with others. If that relationship is paradigmatic, it refers synonymy, antonymy, etc. But if the relationship is syntagmatic, we have collocation. Collocation refers to a group of two or more words that usually go together.

 Here are a number of common collocations in English:

to make the bede : I need to make the bed every day

to do homework : My son does his homework after dinner

to take a risk : some people don't take enough risks in life.

to give someone advice: the teacher gave us some advice on taking tests.

Example : 

Synonymy : in indonesian word of “ bini” it’s same meaning with istri( wife) 

Reference relates to things, people and events in the world. It is the object or entity to which a linguistic expression relates.

Example : The are dogs 

In indonesia :-  buya hamka seorang tokoh yang terpandang, beliau sangat disegani masyarakat...

Saya sudah berbicara dengan “ dia”. The word “ beliau” is more polite  than “dia” 

Based two sentences is same meaning but it’s different sense.