Semantics vs Pragmatics

faizrisd@gmail.comhttp://faizal.staff.iainsalatiga.ac.id/

Semantics: the study of meaning that can be determined from a sentence, phrase or word.

Pragmatics: the study of meaning, as it depends on context (speaker, situation)

www.pakfaizal.com 2

Semantics and Pragmatics

Pragmatics=waste basket?

That’s the boss? (Itu bosnya kan?) THAT’s the boss? (Orangnya kecil jelek tapi bisa jadi boss ya?

Is that the boss? (yes/no Question)

Some instances

It’s hot here! (open the window, switch on the fan/AC)

It’s cold outside! (please don’t go out) Would you mind to open the door? (polite

request) (direct and indirect) Lha koq kowe? (Read: keheranan) Lha aku koq! (Read: Penegasan,lebay) Lha koq ngono? (Read: pertanyaan)

John went to the book store. John store1, go(John, store1)

John bought a book. buy(John,book1)

John gave the book to Mary. give(John,book1,Mary)

Mary put the book on the table. put(Mary,book1,table1)

LING 2000 - 2006 NLP

7

Language to Logic in semantics

  (1) John broke the window with a hammer.

  (2)The hammer broke the window.

  (3) The window broke.

8

SemanticsSame event - different sentences

  John broke the window with a hammer.  SUBJ VERB OBJ MODIFIER

  The hammer broke the window.  SUBJ VERB OBJ

  The window broke.  SUBJ VERB

9

Same event - different syntactic frames

  break(AGENT, INSTRUMENT, PATIENT)

  AGENT PATIENT INSTRUMENT  John broke the window with a hammer.

  INSTRUMENT PATIENT  The hammer broke the window.

  PATIENT  The window broke.

 

www.pakfaizal.com 10

Semantics -predicate arguments

    AGENT PATIENT INSTRUMENT  John broke the window with a hammer.  SUBJ OBJ MODIFIER

  INSTRUMENT PATIENT  The hammer broke the window.  SUBJ OBJ

  PATIENT  The window broke.  SUBJ

11

1. The chicken is ready to eat 2. the shooting of the hunter occurred

yesterday(penembakan pemburu itu) . 3.visiting relatives can be boring 4. we saw her dog. 5. istri tentara yang genit itu tersenyum

padaku. 6. colorless green ideas sleep furiously

(Chomsky:1957).

There always be ambiguity in semantics

Ngebut? Benjut!

Hidden message?

Let’s get married….

• Dialog and pragmatic knowledge– “open the door” is a REQUEST (as opposed to a

STATEMENT or information-question)– It is polite to respond, even if you’re planning to

kill someone .– What is `that’ in `I can’t do that’?– What is “that” in “ I really know about that”?– What is “This” in “This is just I really want in my

life”?– What is “those” in “Those people are crazy”?

“Open the door” kiya matlab ?

One statement I AM HUNGRY has many interpretation depends on the variety of speakers.

I AM HUNGRY for a kid to his mother: he asks for a cake or a candy.

I AM HUNGRY for a hobo or street beggar to pedestrians: he asks for a bread or “nasi bungkus” or “money”

I AM HUNGRY for a boy to a girl: namanya MODUS… (he is,in fact, doesn’t feel hungry)

The speaker’s meaning

The language of headlines

Words have power