I will be exploring both Sense, Denotation, and expressive meanings in words. Expressive meaning is words like “ouch” that convey the speaker’s attitude or feelings. Sense and Denotation was a topic that stood out to me because it opened up my eyes in realizing that on a daily basis I tend to see and use words that are the exact same but can have two completely different meanings or denotations in different discursive universes. I admire how when talking about sense and denotation you are able to see that the sensor determines a denotation set for each situation, and knowing the sense of the word allows speakers to identify the members of this set” this way it gives off a meaningful concept but referents in our world during the present time today. Although denotation “depends upon the universe in which the discourse takes place” I would furthermore like to explore and understand more about the connotations and words that can enhance the description, meaning and possibly the tone in which someone states a word. How is it that two expressions with the same denotation can have two different senses? These are questions that we have to ask ourselves assuming that everyone has the same mental capacity to perceive concepts; For example,  “if a language fails to provide a word for the color yellow; language does indeed affect perception “ language gets perceived as in multiple things based off of your thoughts and on the way that you see and interpret a specific thing. I plan on conducting a survey that can get people to answer the question without being self-conscious about their answers. For instance, if I ask “who taught you how to ride a bike?” They could either answer “mom or mother” or “dad or papa”; this indicates their usage of expressive meaning. 

We all have those moments when we are sitting at the dinner table on Thanksgiving and that one family member brings up a controversial topic/conversation. When a guest (A) mentions something out of pocket or uncomfortable for example guess (A) may start up a conversation by talking about how marijuana should be legal in all states because it has helped the crime rate decrease and health benefits. While guest (B) may use the “maxim of manners’ ‘ to initiate clear, brief, and efficient use of the language to avoid inappropriate conversation guest (B)  states that marijuana will be harmful and corrupt the youth. This created a discrepancy between the two guests but the Grice Maxims of conversation proposed that every speaker of every language operates with several default assumptions about how conversation works to avoid “ambiguity and obscurity.” While the maxim of manners is important we can also use the maxims of conversation and point out if the conversation is lacking adequate evidence or if it does not say what we believe to be false. This way communication can be conveyed in an appropriate way and everyone can understand what is being said compared to what is being implicated. 

Simple antonyms     entrance/exit

1. a) The girl couldn’t find the entrance.
2. b) The girl couldn’t find the exit.

These are simple antonyms because they are contradictory, they cannot both be true and they cannot both be false. Exit and Entrance are simple antonyms. Although exit means the place or means of going out entrance would just be the antonym for an exit.  

Gradable antonyms        friendly / unfriendly

(a) The man in the store was friendly towards my family and me.

(b) The man in the store was unfriendly towards my family and me.

(c) The man in the store was neither friendly nor unfriendly towards my family and me.

What this means is that both (a) and (b) can’t both be true, but they can both be false, so they are contrary. So friendly and unfriendly are gradable antonyms

 

Reverses           borrow/lend

If someone borrows something from you they are technically also lending you that item or product. They both go hand and hand with one another. 

Converses           doctor / patient

(a) Dr. Kathy is Selena’s doctor. 

(b) Selena is Dr. Kathy’s student.

Once you switch up the names “doctor” and “teacher” you could still get a sentence that is being used in a propositional way and meaning.  

Taxonomic sisters       Yorkie / Maltipoo

A Yorkie is a kind of dog, and so is a Maltipoo. They are both in the same category as being dogs.

1a entails 1b

Sabrina was fired from her job

Sabrina has been terminated from her job 

2a presupposes 2b

2a: Steven stopped going to the gym. 

2b: steven once went to the gym 

Sentence 2a presupposes sentence 2b in which the presupposition is that Steven had once gone to the gym before he stopped. 

The trigger word is “stopped”

3a presupposes 3b 

3a. Jase no longer reads and writes novels. 

3b. Jase used to read and write novels. 

Sentence 3a presupposes sentence 3b in which the presupposition is that Jase wrote and read novels. 

The presupposition trigger word is “no longer” 

 

A pair of expressions that have the same denotation, but different expressive meanings that I choose are “childish” and “youthful”. The word “childish” is when someone is immature and shows annoying and silliness qualities such as having a sense of innocence, and curiosity. Though if someone is childish “is of or suitable for a child” they often are not seen as being fully developed and grown while also not being emotionally mature. To me, the word “youthful” resembles someone who is fairly young, enthusiastic, lively, and is on the path to growth and development. The denotation for “youthful” relates to all the young people who have the qualities of being spry and fresh-faced. The two words both come hand in hand with each other meaning both adjectives relate to characteristics of young people but differ when we talk about the behavioral side of it.