A Study of Synonyms by Analyzing the meanings of the verb tell in Articles Supervisor: By

A Study of Synonyms by Analyzing the meanings of the verb tell in

Articles

Supervisor:

By

Outline

Introduction

Literature Review

Analysis

Findings and Discussion

Recommendations

Conclusion

Introduction

Rationale Objectives Scope of the study

Rationale

Prosecutionattorney

Solicitor Lawyer

Objectives

- Provide an overview of synonymy- Analyze the interchangeability of synonyms

Scope of the study

- Oxford Learner’s Advanced Dictionary

- The verb to tell

- Some 60 articles

Literature review

Definition of synonyms

Criteria of synonymy

Types of connotations

Dominant synonym

Definition of synonyms

Same language Same part of speech Identical or nearly identical denotational

meaning Interchangeable at least in some contexts

(Arnold, 1986)

Definition of synonyms

Differ inMorphemic compositionPhonemic shapeShades of meaningConnotationAffective value, style, valency and idiomatic

use(Arnold, 1986)

Criteria of synonymy

The notional criterion

The semantic criterion

The criterion of interchangeability

(Anstrushina et al., 1985)

Sematic criterion

Have the same denotation Differ in connotations  Denotation ConnotationsTo repeat to tell sb about sth that you have

heard or been told by somebody else

To inform 

to tell sb about sth, often in a formal or official way

To notify 

to tell sb about a fact or situation formally or officially

To fill sb in

to tell sb about sth that has happened

The criterion of interchangeability

Synonyms are interchangeable in at least some contexts

E.g. to inform and to notify

There are synonyms that cannot be interchangedE.g. to repeat ≠ to inform ≠ to fill sb in

  Denotation ConnotationsTo repeat to tell sb about sth that you have

heard or been told by somebody else

To inform 

to tell sb about sth, often in a formal or official way

To notify 

to tell sb about a fact or situation formally or officially

To fill sb in to tell sb about sth that has happened

Types of connotations

Connotation of degree or intensity

• E.g. to instruct - to order - to command - to direct

Evaluative connotation

• E.g. to blab - to betray - to grass - to inform on sb - to blow the whistle on sb

Connotation of manner

• E.g. to notify - to inform - to brief

Types of connotations

Connotation of attendant features

• E.g. to report - to fill sb in - to convey - to relay - to communicate - to repeat - to break - to brief - to enlighten - to impart

Connotation of attendant

circumstances

• E.g. to differentiate - to distinguish

Stylistic connotations

• E.g. To blab (informal) - to betray (rather formal) - to grass (slang) - to turn King’s/ Queen’s evidence (BrE) - to turn State’s evidence (AmE)

Types of connotations

Emotive connotation

Connotation of duration

Causative connotation

Dominant synonym

A central word whose meaning is equal to the denotation common to all the synonymic group (Anstrushina et al., 1985)

Tell

report

inform

convey

repeat

enlighten

relay

Dominant synonym

Four main characteristic features:

High frequency of usage

Broad combinability

Broad general meaning

Lack of connotations

Analysis

Review Synonymic groups

DefinitionSynonymsOne example analysis

Review

8 denotations Synonyms Connotation Articles from online newspapers Analysis

Analysis

Review Synonymic groups

DefinitionSynonymsAnalyze one example

Denotation 1

Definition: (of a person) to give information to sb by speaking or writing

Synonyms: Report, inform, fill sb in, convey, communicate, relay, repeat, break, brief, notify, enlighten, impart, alert sb to sth

Connotation:Connotation of attendant featureConnotation of manner

Denotation 1

Report He said he was off-duty and driving

through Harrow, north west London, when he witnessed the disturbance and had only pulled up alongside a line of police to tell them what he had witnessed. (Wardrop, 2012)

Denotation 2

Definition: (of some writing, an instrument, a sign) to give information about sth

Synonyms: Inform, notify, brief, convey, impart, enlighten

Connotation:connotation of attendant featuresconnotation of manner

Denotation 2

Notify People are being told by email that

when they return from deployment they are going to have a year and then they are out. (McVeigh, 2011)

Denotation 3

Definition: Order or instruct (someone to do something)

Synonyms: Instruct, order, command, direct

Connotation: connotation of degree or intensity

Denotation 3

Order Although Mr Paisley, now Lord Bannside,

said in 2008 that he was not pressured to quit he has now claimed he was told to go. (Purdy, 2014 )

Denotation 4

Definition: Express in words Synonyms: Describe, recount, relate,

report, chronicle, narrate, weave, unfold, cover

Connotation:connotation of attendant features

Denotation 4

Cover The Hudson River plane crash is one of

the miracles of our time and we are delighted to be the first to tell the story on UK television (Holmwood, 2009)

Denotation 5

Definition: To know, judge or see sth correctly (not used in progressive tenses)

Denotation 6

Definition: distinguish one thing or person from another

Synonyms: Distinguish, differentiate Connotation:connotation of attendant circumstances

Denotation 6

Differentiate Scientists found volunteers who were

previously unable to differentiate between two similar scents learnt to tell them apart when given electric shocks alongside just one of them. (Fleming, 2008)

Denotation 6

The current system, established 200 years ago by Oxford when there were small numbers of undergraduates, makes it difficult to differentiate between students, according to employers. Large numbers of students now come out of university with a 2.1. which fails to distinguish between someone who attained 60 per cent and another who achieved 69.9 per cent. (Hodges, 2013)

Denotation 7

(intransitive) have an effect on sb/sth

Denotation 8

Definition: (intransitive) (informal) to let sb know a secret

Synonyms: blab, betray, finger, grass, inform on sb, turn King’s/ Queen’s evidence (BrE), turn State’s evidence (AmE), blow the whistle on sb, stab sb in the back

Connotations: evaluative connotation stylistic connotation connotation of attendant features

Denotation 8

Blab If I let you into a secret, do you promise

you won't tell anyone? (Freeman, 1999)

Findings + Discussion

Not all synonyms are equally interchangeableturn King’s/ Queen’s evidence (BrE), turn State’s evidence (AmE) grass, unfold, chronicle Words similar in denotation and connotation

are highly likely interchangeableDistinguish, differentiate, tell

Findings + Discussion

Not all synonyms are equally interchangeableturn King’s/ Queen’s evidence (BrE), turn State’s evidence (AmE) grass, unfold, chronicle Words similar in denotation and connotation

are highly likely interchangeableE.g: Distinguish, differentiate, tell

Findings + Discussion

Dominant synonym and synonyms in a synonymic group: interchangeability

He had us in stitches – he was a wonderful raconteur – as he recounted how he and his fellow choristers had gone to the vicar, who had initially refused their demand of more than one shilling for weddings.

(Montgomery, 2014)

Recommendations

Translation and interpretationI told it to my sister, Lisa and she in turn told it to my sister Maggie.

(Henderson B., 2012) Using the English – English dictionaries +

Thesaurus

Recommendations

In translation and interpretationI told it to my sister, Lisa and she in turn told it to my sister Maggie.

(Henderson B., 2012) Using the English – English dictionaries +

Thesaurus

Conclusion

Overview of synonymy Denotations and connotations of the verb

“tell” and its synonyms analysis Findings Recommendations Limitations

References

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