...REFERENCE, DENOTATION, AND CONNOTATION (A STUDY of SEMANTIC) This paper is arranged to fulfill the assignment of SEMANTIC Lecturer: Kurniawan, M.Hum Arranged by: Novi Dyah Ayu Sri M : 26.09.6.2.124 Rifqi Syafiatul Hidayah : 26.09.6.2.140 Sayekti Pujilestari : 26.09.6.2.147 ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTEMENT INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC COLLEGE SURAKARTA 2012 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Introduction Arcnoff and Miller (2003:370) says that semantics focuses on theories of meaning which apply to sentences that make statements, and are taken to be either true are false. This assumption shows that there is relationship between linguistic expression and the world which is at the core of linguistic meaning. By contrast with most other work in semantics, the functional-systemic linguistics of Halliday (1967, 1977, and 1978) recognizes not only ideational and interpersonal meaning, but also textual meaning. It associates various sorts of meaning with choices made all along the way in the production of a sentence in a text. Geoffrey Leech in his ‘Semantic- A Study of meaning’ (1974) breaks down meaning into seven types or ingredients giving primacy to conceptual meaning. The Seven types of meaning according to Leech are as follows: Conceptual or Denotative Meaning, Connotative Meaning, Social Meaning, Affective or Emotive Meaning, Reflected Meaning, Thematic Meaning. Almost all of the words of a language have a conceptual meaning. There are words that have more than one...
Words: 2183 - Pages: 9
...general considered to be the global language, a lingua franca, in terms of the population and wide-spread of its users. According to The World Factbook (2009), researched by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of USA, English is accepted as the official language in approximately 60 countries and regions. With the wide range of use in the world and its long history, English borrowed certain amount of vocabulary from other languages. As a result, an extremely common language feature can be detected in the large amount of English words which is synonyms. Synonyms are pairs of words sharing similar meaning or semantic features (Jackson & Amvela, 2007). Nevertheless, as recognized by many linguists, the meaning of synonyms differs for their connotations, dialects, collocations and syntactic features. In this research essay, a corpus-based study on the similarities and differences of synonyms will be conducted by examining claim and state. The essay will be divided into three parts, which are Literature Review, Methodology and Findings and Results. After that, a conclusion will be drawn as the summary and revision. Literature Review Synonym is considered to be an important part of the semantic study which focuses on the relational meanings of lexis. It is generally agreed that the meanings of words are closely related to the collocations and contexts in the sentences. Also, as mentioned in the introduction, synonyms are referring to the words which “have same meaning in some or all...
Words: 2576 - Pages: 11
...something special and that you wouldn’t expect Curley to have a wife of that standard. Steinbeck then uses the sentenced “Both men glanced up, for the rectangle in the doorway was cut off.” The use of the noun “sunshine” has positive connotations and the symbolism of light which Steinbeck uses in contrast with the darkness she creates which has negative connotations associated with it for example danger and death. This means that the connotations of darkness are then associated with Curley’s wife. This may give the reader the impression that the darkness she creates which has negative connotations of death may foreshadow her death leading to George tragically killing Lennie. Steinbeck shows how Curley’s wife is an outsider on the ranch through the sentence “A girl was standing there looking in.” this may give the reader the reader the impression that she is an outsider on the ranch and is never involved with any of the activities that take place on the ranch, this there for makes her feel that she has to stand by the doorway because she is an outsider. Steinbeck uses the sentence “She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her finger nails were red.” The adjective red which Steinbeck uses to partly describe her appearance has connotations of love and Danger which is a negative abstract noun is therefore associated with her and love which is a positive abstract noun which is ironic because she does not seem to receive any love form anybody in the novella....
Words: 1362 - Pages: 6
...Cold Mountain Literary Terms Journal 1.) Alliteration (page 137) “Her mind marked every mantis in a stand of ragweed.” Repetition of “m” at the beginning of words. 2.) Allusion (page 5) “He seldom spoke more than a word or two at a time, and Inman had learned little more of him than that his name was Balis and that before the war he had been to school at Chapel Hill, where he had attempted to master Greek. Connects to The Odyssey and the greek gods and goddesses. 3.) Imagery (page 4) “By now he had stared at the window all through a late summer so hot and wet that the air both day and night felt like breathing through a dishrag, so damp it caused fresh sheets to sour under him and tiny black mushrooms to grow overnight from the limp pages of the book on his bedside table.” This sentence is so descriptive and appeals to my sense of touch and feeling it makes me feel like it’s a hot and humid summer night again. 4.) Metaphor (page 68) “[ . . .] gobs of biscuit dough the size of cat heads cooked in the yellow broth.” The authoru related the size of a cat head and biscuit dough, which are two very different things. 5.) Personification (page 1) “At the first gesture of morning, flies began stirring.” The author described the flies’ actions with a humane action. 6.) Simile (page 14) “Every morning after that dream, Inman awoke in a mood as dark as the blackest crow that ever flew.” The author used the word “as” to compare the meaning of a color...
Words: 1693 - Pages: 7
...delivering instant examples of the breadth of Bradley’s influence throughout the first six months. Visually striking among the paragraphs of a newspaper article, these listed accomplishments of Bradley’s actions catch the eye of the reader, drawing attention to the transformations Bradley has enacted. Together, titles, photographs, and bulleted information add to the sensational value of the article, appealing to the general public. Shuit transitions from sensational imagery to analysis via his specific diction. The deliberate partisan language of the article paints Bradley as a symbol of direction among the ambiguity of Los Angeles’ problems as a large city. Through manipulation of the connotations of words, Shuit surrounds Bradley with positive connotations while using words with negative connotations to describe problems in the city. This contrast proves the extent of Bradley’s beneficial power. Shuit asserts, “Summing it up, Bradley has reminded people almost daily that Los Angeles has a mayor, and in doing so, has made himself a force to be reckoned with in the city” (A3). This choice of language emulates the strength shown by the mayor in his first six months, as well as developing the image of action described earlier. Shuit’s previous sensational examples fuse with his summation of Bradley’s accomplishments to facilitate the development and analysis of the mayor, subtly influencing the audience’s opinion of the new mayor in a positive way. Shuit avoids excessively negative...
Words: 1480 - Pages: 6
...Handicapped Does not Mean Handi-can’t Media Portrayals of disabled Americans Monica Franklin University of the Rockies Abstract This paper will discuss the way the media portrays people with disabilities. One aspect of our culture that has been misrepresented in the media is the portrayal of people with handicaps or disabilities. Unfortunately people with disabilities have been given a bad rap due to negative images displayed by the media, thus leading to negative perceptions. These perceptions lead to isolation and ridicule. The paper will also focus on the negative effects of stereotypes used to describe this group. Images will also be displayed throughout the paper that represents what the media would like society to see as disabled in America. Key Words: Disability, isolation, perceptions, misrepresentation, negative , images disabled. Handicapped Does not Mean Handi-cant Media Portrayals of disabled Americans Television has been a part of our lives since the early 1920’s and mass media has been instrumental in the portrayals of American culture, but what do you envision when you hear the word disabled? What do you envision when you hear handicap? One aspect of our culture that has been misrepresented in the media is the portrayal of people with handicaps or disabilities. According to the portrayal in the media, rumor has it that people with disabilities are needy, dependant, submissive and always the center of distasteful jokes. Disability by definition...
Words: 771 - Pages: 4
... Unknown Girl in the Maternity Ward Essay “Go child, who is my sin and nothing more.” The most defining characteristic of confessional poetry is that it focuses on a subject matter that was considered immoral and inappropriate. ‘Unknown Girl in the Maternity Ward’ is a confessional poem written by Anne Sexton, concerning a young mother who is expected to give up her newborn baby. Written from a first-person point of view, Sexton invites the reader to live through the thoughts and feelings of the mother through the effective use of a many language features such as similes, metaphors, caesuras/enjambments, and interesting word choice. The first stanza starts with intriguing word choice. “The current of your breath” indicates the connotations of movement and life from the newborn baby, though it can also negatively connote a sign of violence or destruction in the extreme relation to tsunamis, implying power and/or trouble. Sexton describes the baby as “a small knuckle” and “fisted like a snail”. The metaphor and simile both suggest the way the baby is lying curled up in a ball, yearning for protection from the mother as the comparison to a snail gives the meaning of being fragile and weak. The effective word choice of using “the nurses nod their caps” in place of saying heads, show how the people in the hospital use their profession over of their...
Words: 2255 - Pages: 10
...At the beginning of the prologue, Chaucer informs the audience that he will “Tell you al the condicioun of eech of hem, so as it seemed me, and whiche they were, and of what degree,” and as a result give the readers insight as to what he believes the characters to be like. Going into his characterization of the knight, it seems as if Chaucer is going to have a very optimistic and genuine appreciation towards all the characters. Chaucer describes the knight with nothing but positive connotation as seen when he says the knight “never yi not villainye ne said in al his lif unto no manere wight: He was a verray, parfit, gentil knight.” It is evident that Chaucer depicts the knight as genuinely noble and kind. His positive characterization of the knight creates a sharp contrast with his depiction of the prioresse. While Chaucer begins complimenting the prioresse by describing as “charitable and so pitous” and “ful plesant and amiable of port” there is a sense of irony detected in his description of her. Although the prioresse would weep when she saw a dead mouse as seen by the quote “she wolde weepe if that she saw a mous caught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde,” it is clear that she is trying to create a façade. In the next line Chaucer describes how the prioresse would feed the flesh of dead animals to hounds when he says that “of smale houndes hadde she fedde with rosted flesh.” By reflecting on the Prioresse feeding animals with flesh directly after talking about the...
Words: 536 - Pages: 3
...his parents, he describes a scene of his family routine and enjoying a day at the beach. The poem encompasses use of descriptive language, metaphors, and the exclusive use of symbolism. The use of negative connotations sets the tone of the piece as sad and rather insightful about understanding what he viewed as a child. The poem is told by an adult who is reflecting on a childhood memory in a poor summer home with his dysfunctional family. The person sounds very perceptive in remembering little details of the house and his parent's actions in response to one another. He seems to value his family relationships, recalling this particular memory with some kind of fondness, especially for the home they stayed in. Because the narrator is telling the scene from his own point of view, the attitude the author takes in the poem is very significant. The attitude can sometimes be described as ironic, but mostly sad. The narrator is reflecting on this scene and seeing it from a different perspective, now that the narrator is an adult. For example the narrator comments, “How difficult it is to speak as I spoke then”. His attitude while he speaks directly affects the tone of the passage. The tone here can be described as rather opprobrious. The narrator uses more negative connotations that makes it obvious the narrator is not proud of or satisfied with his parents and their influence on him. The narrator remarks, “Their unhappiness was one of the constants of my earliest years, a high, unceasing...
Words: 1384 - Pages: 6
...Owen focuses on two key themes. The first theme is the horror of war and the terrible conditions facing the soldiers, in contrast, the second theme is the meaningless and lack of religion in response to such horror as seen during the war. Owen uses extremely strong and powerful imagery throughout his poem. In the very first line he asks, ‘What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?’, the connotation implies that in war, millions die with the same significance as cattle which justifies the lack of sounding from the bells. The manner of their deaths is being compared to the mass slaughter of the animals. Owen in appalled by the inhumane deaths these young men experienced. He feels as if they are nameless and faceless - losing their identities in the chaos of war. The use of this simile is important because it helps Owen to create a sense of what is recognized as the helplessness and inhumane treatment the soldiers received. In the second line of his poem he uses personification. Owen describes the ‘monstrous anger of the guns’, giving the guns a powerful, negative connotation. By doing so, the anger is misplaced and transferred into the weapons which spit their hatred at the soldiers. By using the adjective ‘monstrous’, Owen compares the guns to monsters who are daunting creatures that people are afraid of. To be ‘monstrous’ also suggests that the sound is loud, as if a huge monster is roaring angrily. The use of this personification is important because they cause the...
Words: 915 - Pages: 4
...The word "special" has a negative connotation in our society because the word signifies that something is different or abnormal in a person, thereby separating that person from everybody else. As seen when a disrespectful customer rudely remarked, "Special needs children need to special somewhere else" (Estreich). In past years and decades, many have been treated as outcasts because of their disabilities and have been branded with the word "special", as for how the rude customer had done to Milo. Though in this situation only one individual had used the word "special" with a negative connotation, ideas of bigotry are more widespread than some people might possibly conceive. Furthermore, when the author describes the past decades she states that "If there were a slogan for those grim decades, 'let them be special somewhere else' would sum...
Words: 493 - Pages: 2
...Affordability & Cost When speaking of the term “Public Hospital” and according to Wikipedia it denotatively brings the meaning of a public or government hospital, which is owned by the government and receives government funding. Hence provides medical care free of charge for the public. Now, when looking at it in connotative sense public hospitals almost always instills a general image that is similar to most people’s minds. It is culturally known that public hospitals are on the cheaper side. This is a positive connotation to public hospitals. But at the same time, it is also culturally known that public hospitals although cheaper, delivers substandard and often poor service comparing to that of private hospitals. This is the negative connotation when it comes to public hospitals. We wanted to compare the basic connotation that comes with public hospitals and in this case affordability wise. So we took it into context with our subject, which is Putrajaya Hospital. To briefly explain the subject, Putrajaya Hospital is first and foremost a public government hospital claiming to provide first class service. Moving along to their affordability and cost, as stated on their official website the rates for government servants are basically similar to that of any other government based hospital whereas the rates for the general public is fixed according to types of rooms, beds, length of stay and treatments required and so forth. Simply put, they claimed that it is usually affordable...
Words: 603 - Pages: 3
...The common problem of a Presentation Tracing back when was your first presentation, maybe is from our early school period. When we asked to deliver our reading project, or even asked to pick a book to read it out. It mays leads your hand sweaty, nervousness, and uncomfortable of your stomach. Making a presentation is a way of communicating your thoughts and ideas to an audience. Some barriers may being an obstacle for us to communicate with our audience completely. We can divide those communication barriers to three parts, psychological Barriers, Semantic Barriers and physical barriers. Psychological Barriers including emotional, perceptual and selectivity Emotional, without well management about stress will let presenter feel worries and stressful, they may be thoughtful by personal issues and not as concern on to the presentation topic as if they were not stressed. Also may preform not respectively to audience, like interrupt people saying or while asking question.Low self-esteem may be less positive and therefore may feel uncomfortable about communicating, shy about saying how they really feel or they may turn the message they receive as a negative sub-texts. Perceptual, there are surely people will have differences in viewpoint and perception. Many information may be gathered or suggestion from other people, that may lead the presenter confusion and worry her content cannot predominate the presentation. Selectivity, selective messages by own view may...
Words: 657 - Pages: 3
...Essay - My Little Bit of Country The upbringing of children is parents’ most important obligation during the course of their life. Preparing your children for adulthood is essential, because we live in a modern and globalized world with ever changing requirements. This fosters the requirement to be able to adapt and face new challenges on a daily basis. However, there is an ongoing trend, in which parents are being overprotective of their children. This consequently leads to their children being unable to explore the outer world and attain valuable skills which can be used later in life. Susan Cheever, an American writer and mother of two children, depicts in her essay, “My Little Bit of Country”, her childhood experiencing both city and country life. The essay was originally published in 2012 in the anthology Central Park. As the title of the anthology indicates, the story mainly takes place in Central Park, New York. The essay is told from Susan Cheever’s perspective, thus it’s not an omniscient narrator, but a 1st person narrator with access to her own mind. The story begins with Susan Cheever recalling the mornings of the summer, going to Central Park with her father, whom had just returned from the war. The essay progresses on chronically, with her growing up and moving into the suburbs, until she finally as an adult returns to the city, when she herself have children. Therefore it’s somewhat safe to assume, that the essay starts after the war in the 1940’s and ends somewhere...
Words: 1176 - Pages: 5
...that we use it to represent ideas, objects, and feelings. Because language is only representative, you can interpret any given statement in more than one way. Sometimes the difference is simply literal versus figurative interpretation. Denotation and connotation are two more tools you can employ to discern the meaning of an unfamiliar term. For a writer to express herself precisely, she must understand both the denotations and connotations of words, and use that understanding to convey to the reader her exact intent. Every student learns about connotation and denotation in his or her English 101 and 102 classes. In those classes, you learn how to distinguish between the two as they appear in literature. You learn the concept or theory behind the terms. Learning to apply the concepts to your writing will quickly improve your writing style. You are the author of your essay, and the word author implies you are somewhat of an authority on your subject. With authority comes responsibility. One of your most important responsibilities as a writer is to be clear for your readers—your professors! For your paper to be successful, you want to be sure your reader understands exactly what you intended for your words to mean. That’s where connotation and denotation can help. The most noticeable feature that distinguishes human beings from animals is their (human beings) ability to communicate with each other in different contextual situations. Due to the flexibility and arbitrariness of language...
Words: 491 - Pages: 2
