Introduction to Linguistics UDE

Definitions from the Lecture Introduction to Linguistics from WiSe25/26 and SoSe26 UDE

Definitions from the Lecture Introduction to Linguistics from WiSe25/26 and SoSe26 UDE

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Endocentric Compound

A determines B (A=modifier, B= head of compound) e.g. darkroom, smalltalk

Exocentric Compound

A+B means something that neither A nor B; e.g. skinhead (person), pickpocket (person)

Copulative Compound

A and B are both equally important, e.g. bitter-sweet, sleepwalker

Conversion

the word class changes without any morphological changes (e.g. to cage, to water, a cough, a walk, ...)

Partial Conversion

change of word class includes a phonological change

1. change of word-final sound from V- to V+ (the belief - to belive; the use (s) - to use (z))

2. shift of main accent (to subJECT - the SUBject)

Shortenings: Blending

two words are fused together (result is a combined meaning) e.g. smoke+fog=smog, breakfast+lunch=brunch

Shortenings: Clipping

parts of the word are omitted (clipped off)

1. back-clipping (ad - advertisement)

2. front-clipping (phone - telephone)

3. front-and-back-clipping (fridge - refridgerator) 

Shortenings: Acronym

forms a new term, pronounces like a word

e.g. asap, NATO, UNESCO, ERASMUS, laser

Shortenings: Alphabetism

forms a new term, pronounced letter by letter

e.g. PC, TV, VIP, USA, IPA, UK

Back formation

deleting of a derivational suffix, changes the word class (e.g. sleepwalk (V) and sleepwalker (N)

Coinage 

creation of new words for specific purpose without using other word formation processes, e.g. Aspirin,Kleenex

Eponyms

words coined from proper names, real or fictional people, places: Mac, sandwich

Syntax

studies the way in which words and phrases are combined into sentences

Semantics

study of linguistic meaning

lexical semantics 

investigates the meaning of words

sentential semantics

investigates the meaning of phrases and sentences

Denotation 

basic description

Connotation

associative meaning

sememe

meaning of a lexeme

semes

smallest possible units of meaning

Feature semantics 

semes    table     cow     girl     woman    boy   man

animate    -           +        +            +          +         +

human     -          -           +           +            +        +

male       -            -          -             -            +        +

adult      -             +         -            +            -         +

Prototype semantics 

prototype as the central member/representative of a category 

example: birds

-> rotkehlchen-spatz-taube-eule-papagei-fasan-pfau-ente

family resemblance 

overlapping resemblance 

example: games

-> chess, computer games, skat, football

 

Metaphors

source domain (e.g. human body) is transferred to a target domain (e.g. non-human entities)

antrophomorphic metaphors

transferred from human domain (esp. body parts) e.g. foot of a mountain, leg of a table

synaethetic metaphors 

extension from one field of sensory perception to another , e.g. warm voice, loud colour

light and thinking / intelligence metaphors

e.g. bright person, transparent argument

money and language metaphors

to owe someone an answer, to coin new words

space and wellbeing metaphors 

e.g. to feel up/down, fall ill, rise to the top

war/physical metaphors 

e.g. struck the centre, struck a nerve

paradigmatic relation

words can be substituted by similar entities

syntagmatic relations

items are combined with other items to form a larger structure

lexical field

elements share at least one semantic meaning(s) e.g. verbs: chased, followed, hunted, tracked

semantic relations examples

                    syntagmatic relations

para-            The     fast      cats     chased      the   mouse.

dig-              The     hungry  dog    followed     my   cat.

matic-          Ten        /          tigers  hunted     the    victim.

relations        /          Wild     animals  tracked the   prey.

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