The expressive function of language

Author(s):  
Daniel Gutzmann

This chapter offers a very brief historical perspective on the notion of expressivity and introduces the general idea of hybrid semantics, before presenting various instances of expressions fulfilling the expressive language function, and the tools for their semantic analysis. The three main phenomena of this book will be introduced (expressive adjectives, expressive intensifiers, and expressive vocatives) and the specific semantic properties of expressive meaning will be discussed. The second half of the chapter provides an overview of recent formal approaches to expressivity and sketches the main ideas of a formal semantic approach to expressive meaning that is based on the idea of a multidimensional system, before presenting the specific system that will be used for the purposes of the case studies in this book.

2019 ◽  
pp. 172-260
Author(s):  
Daniel Gutzmann

This chapter develops a syntactic and semantic analysis of German expressive vocatives (eVocs), which consists of a second person pronoun and an expressive nominal part. It documents the special properties of eVocs and identifies three structural subtypes (autonomous, parenthetical, integrated). It is shown that none of the previous semantic analysis of vocatives can deal with eVocs. This chapter develops a new semantic approach according to which integrated eVocs are the most basic ones, consisting of a pronoun and expressive modification. Parenthetical and autonomous eVocs are then extensions of the integrated version, just adding an activational vocative function and an exclamational component respectively. Furthermore, it is argued that syntactically, eVocs consist of a D-element—the pronoun—which has to select for an expressive complement. The upshot of this chapter for the hypothesis of expressive syntax is that expressivity as a syntactic feature can be selected for by other expressions.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Khadoudja Ghanem

In this paper the authors propose a semantic approach to document categorization. The idea is to create for each category a semantic index (representative term vector) by performing a local Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) followed by a clustering process. A second use of LSA (Global LSA) is adopted on a term-Class matrix in order to retrieve the class which is the most similar to the query (document to classify) in the same way where the LSA is used to retrieve documents which are the most similar to a query in Information Retrieval. The proposed system is evaluated on a popular dataset which is 20 Newsgroup corpus. Obtained results show the effectiveness of the method compared with those obtained with the classic KNN and SVM classifiers as well as with methods presented in the literature. Experimental results show that the new method has high precision and recall rates and classification accuracy is significantly improved.


2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Wierzbicka

This paper develops a semantic approach to the study of “reciprocity” — an area increasingly seen as central to linguistic typology. “Reciprocal” and “reflexive-reciprocal” constructions from five languages — English, Russian, Polish, French and Japanese — are analyzed in considerable detail. The different, though interrelated, meanings of these constructions are explicated, and the proposed explications are supported with linguistic evidence. The paper challenges current approaches which tend to lump formally and semantically distinct constructions under one arbitrary label such as “RECIP”, and it seeks to show how linguistic typology can be transformed by joining forces with rigorous cross-linguistic semantics. It also challenges the Nijmegen School approach, which privileges extensionalist “video-clipping” over conceptual analysis. The analysis presented in the paper demonstrates the descriptive and explanatory power of the NSM methodology. The results achieved through semantic analysis are shown to be convergent with hypotheses about “shared intentionality” put forward by Michael Tomasello and colleagues in the context of evolutionary psychology, and to throw new light on social universals (“human sociality”).


1974 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 433-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul D. Bacsich ◽  
Dafydd Rowlands Hughes

We prove that certain syntactic conditions similar to separation principles on a theory are equivalent to semantic properties such as amalgamation and strong amalgamation, by showing that appropriate classes of structures are definable by Lω1ω-sentences. Then we characterise the elements of core models and thus give a natural proof of Rabin's characterisation of convex theories.The notion of a syntactic characterisation of a semantic property of a theory is by now fairly well known. The earliest such were the classical preservation theorems: For example, a theorem of Lyndon characterised the theories whose models were closed under homomorphic images as those with a set of positive axioms.Presumably the notion of syntactic characterisation can be made precise, but it is probably better at this stage to leave it vague. The general idea is that theories are “algebras” (cylindric algebras, or logical categories, with suitable extra structure) and that a semantic property P of theories is syntactically characterisable if the class of theories with P is an “elementary” class of “algebras.”When one codes countable theories as real numbers, a syntactically characterisable property will be arithmetical. The converse does not seem reasonable, especially as it is often fairly easy to prove a property arithmetical (using extra predicates, usually), when we may not be able to find a syntactic characterisation.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Oltra-Massuet

This article deals with the morphosyntactic and semantic properties of the adjectives derived with the English morpheme -ish. The main goal of the paper is to outline a morphosyntactic analysis of -ish that: (i) accounts for its cross-categorial nature, (ii) derives its surface polysemy, and (iii) is compatible with Bochnak & Csipak's (2014) recent semantic analysis of deadjectival -ish (for example, reddish) and free-standing propositional -ish (for example, I liked the movie …ish) as a metalinguistic degree operator. Focusing on the analysis of the various subtypes of bounded -ish forms, this paper develops a unified morphosyntactic approach to -ish with a single shared semantics, and suggests that the cross-categorial and polysemous nature of -ish derives from three main closely interrelated factors: (i) the source of the degree variable that -ish targets, whether syntactic, lexical, or metalinguistic; (ii) the syntactic realization site of -ish; and (iii) the late insertion of the underspecified morpheme -ish.


2017 ◽  
pp. 227-230
Author(s):  
Bernardo de Vito Schneider ◽  
Renata Sieiro Fernandes

Este texto ensaístico apresenta duas ideias principais - a criança e a arte - e sobre as quais se indaga, buscando as interfaces e os atravessamentos desse ser social, a criança, com a linguagem poética, comunicativa e expressiva. Nesse exercício, questiona-se sobre o que e como ambos inauguram possibilidades de existência e de signiHcação do mundo, apontando para a construção de metáforas e conceitos, a relação com a magia e o encantamento, a transgressão no tempo e no espaço, a instauração do instituinte, a ruptura ou o desvio no padronizado. Por Em, considera a constituição ou a transmutação da criança em obra de arte.Palavras-chave: Criança. Arte. Transmutação.Artfulness childAbstractThis essay presents and inquiries about two main ideas, the child and the art, seeking interfaces and crossings of this social being, the child, with poetic, communicative and expressive language. In this exercise, we question in which form and how both of them produce possibilities of existence and meaning of the world, pointing out to the construction of metaphors and concepts, the relationship with magic and enchantment, transgression in time and space, the establishment of the instituting, the rupture or the deviation from the standardized one. Finally, it considers the constitution or transmutation of the child into a work of art.Keywords: Child. Art. Transmutation.Nino arteroResumenEste texto ensayístico presenta y se indaga sobre dos ideas principales, el nino y el arte, buscando las interfaces y los atravesamientos de ese ser social con el lenguaje poético, comunicativo y expresivo. En este ejercicio se cuestiona sobre qué y cómo ambos inaugura posibilidades de existencia y de significación del mundo, apuntando a la construcción de metáforas y conceptos, la relación con la magia y el encantamiento, la transgresión en el tiempo y en el espacio, el instituto, la ruptura o la desviación en el estandarizado. Por último, considera la constitución o la transmutación del nino en obra de arte..Palabras clave: Nino. Arte. Transmutación.


ULUMUNA ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-262
Author(s):  
Aris Widodo

One of the striking issues that beset human beings is how to have the encounter with God, to whom they worship. Therefore, some of them design a roadmap of spiritual journey to have the encounter. An Islamic Sufi order, Ṭarīqah Qādiriyyah wa Naqshabandiyyah (TQN) have done so. This article tries to deal with the three ways of spiritual journey that will enhance human beings to arrive (wuṣūl) at God as explained in six books of the TQN. Besides, using semantic approach, this study also endeavors to unearth the concept of wuṣūl encapsulated in the three ways of the spiritual journey. Apart from that, this article takes into account as well whether the concept of wuṣūl in the TQN as a unitive experience refers to waḥdah al-wujūd or wahdah al-shuhūd. By comparing the indicators, this article comes to the conclusion that the concept of wuṣūl in the TQN refers to the waḥdah al-shuhūd. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20414/ujis.v20i2.811


2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabienne H. Baider ◽  
Henriette Gezundhajt

Framed within Antoine Culioli's Enunciative Model of language, this article suggests a new analysis regarding the semantic properties of the suffix -esque and argues that this suffix refers to an alterity expressed within a typical property. Moreover this article reassesses earlier findings made about the suffix -esque, namely its low productivity in creation of neologisms and its apparent usage limited to literary and journalistic styles. The alleged constraint for all its bases to be referring to a human being is also reconsidered and our semantic analysis questions the value of "extreme" supposedly added by -esque to the nominal basis. Indeed, its usage in French shows that if this suffix is no longer typically associated to a nominal basis referring to the people of a country (see mauresque or arabesque), the human dimension associated to the nominal basis such as in la soldatesque, is not always found either (see TV-esque). Rather, this suffix seems to have lost its role as a simple identifier towards a referential domain as found in expressions such as une oeuvre molièresque which could be glossed over as "une oeuvre typique de Molière". This identification is most of the time linked to a laudatory or negative appreciation on the part of the enunciator, as found in examples such as gargantuesque. Besides, the contemporary dynamism of the -esque flexion enables the creation of neologisms. These neologisms are derived from proper nouns (mitterrandesque) or from acronyms (rmiesque) that do not exhibit standard properties. This begs the question of whether the value which seemed to be added to the composite [noun + esque] is determined by the suffix itself or whether it is partially connected to the atypical notional value of the root's semantic value.


Author(s):  
Oksana Aleksandrova

Background. Under the new conditions in Ukraine, a new wave of interest in the work of the classic of the music culture of the 20th century Georgiy Sviridov is being observed, and it actualizes the search for the methods of scientific cognition corresponding to the spiritual depth of creativity. The artistic and aesthetic content of his vocal and choral compositions reveals the biblical image of the “inner man” and through it awareness of culture as a universe, where the man and God coexist in synergy. In the post-secular period, the world of music created by the outstanding artist was marked by the document of the individual and artistic experience of overcoming the crisis phenomena in society. The urgency of the present article is due to the need to find analysis methods appropriate for the style of vocal and choral compositions by G. Sviridov and for the upgrade process of methodology knowledge of the philosophical principles of composing activities of the 20th century as a whole. Objectives. The object of research is a musical composition; its subject is presented by the principles of the spiritual-semantic approach, determined by the worldview and style of the composer’s thinking. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the spiritual-semantic approach as a cognitive model of cognition of musical compositions on the material of vocalchoral genres by G. Sviridov. Methodology. The basis of the spiritual-semantic analysis is the concept of spiritual analysis of music by V. Medushevsky. A. Belonenko was the first to express the opinion that religious themes penetrated the entire creative work of the composer. L. Shapovalova offered methods of cognition of the spiritual reality of a musical composition and defined the liturgy as an “archetype” of the creativity of the believing man (homo credens). N. Varavkina-Tarasova highlighted the issues of the symbolic meaning of the spiritual content of G. Sviridov’s creative work on the example of “Three Choirs to the Tragedy by O. Tolstoy "Tsar Fodor Ioannovich"”. O. Tevosyan revealed a numerical symbolism of certain compositions by the composer. The development of the predecessors’ ideas is the author’s definition: the spiritual-semantic approach is a way of scientific cognition of the ontology of creativity. The “style of thinking” is evident through the system connections of the composer’s text with ideological traditions and the cultural environment. Presenting the main material. One of the criteria of the spiritual-semantic approach is the adequacy of thinking and language: the semantic function of the sign, multiplied by its presence in the material and spiritual plane of the composition, becomes a meaning-creating factor. The first level of the spiritual-semantic analysis of a musical composition is the first-element signs as an expression of the manifestation of the Being: preintonation, rhythm-intonation, harmonic tunes, timbre-complexes, in which the generalized archetypes of culture are contained in the concentrated (“curtailed”) form. The second level reveals a compositionally-designed meaningful image that originates from the first element (motive, theme). Since the symbol is a dynamic phenomenon, its further “germination” in the musical form is connected not only with the immanent-musical syntax. The symbolization of the sound-image is most clearly manifested in the third level of the spiritual-semantic analysis, which characterizes the type of musical dramaturgy (taking into account the world attitude of homo animus – the lyrical universe, according to M. Arkadyev). The fourth, metaphysical, level characterizes the complete meaningful image. The immanent-musical quality of the sound of a composition does not simply create a holistic gestalt, but with its help point to the invisible world (the Bible, the Life of the Saints, the Liturgy). At the highest fifth level, there is the outcome of consciousness, that perceives a musical composition, into the broad context of the existence: music creates spiritual values of a universal human meaning, "bridges" its meaning with the civilizational processes of the mankind (hence it gets the definition of “culture creating one”). We indicated the methodological role of the philosophical category of “the picture of the world”, the content of which synthesizes the deep ideas about the Universe. In the national picture of the world, the most significant laws of the existence of culture are recorded. Results. The category of the “composer’s style” contains such components as the creator’s worldview and the system of principles of his artistic thinking, expressed in the semiotic structure, the laws of composition and dramaturgy of compositions. The phenomenon of G. Sviridov is that from the sphere of the secular interpretation of the poetry by A. Pushkin, S. Yesenin, A. Blok, which corresponded to anthropocentrism of musical and poetic thinking, he implemented “modulation” to the Orthodox spirituality. The spiritual-semantic approach has a general methodological value, since it broadens the theoretical concepts of the cognitive science of stylistic phenomena in music. Its content, constituents, and objectives provide the perspective of the further substantiation of ideological positions; serve as tools for improving the methodology for analysing liturgical compositions (through signs and symbols of the spiritual time space). Conclusion. The three groups of semantic signs of the vocal-choral style by G. Svyrydov have been distinguished: anthropocentric, sound-imaging (nature, native land) associated with them, metaphysical (time, eternity, way of spiritual ascension), liturgical (Christ, Gate of the Lord, pure Thursday, bell-sound, prayer songs).


Author(s):  
Svetlana A. Baturenko

The emergence and development of Marxist feminism in Russia and in the world in general is considered in article on the basis of the analysis of primary sources. The problem of position of women attracted a keen interest of representatives of the most different sociological schools in Russia during its formation. The Marxist feminism was the separate significant direction in the Russian sociological thought. It developed as the special theoretical project and also it had bright experience of implementation. Among representatives of the Russian Marxist sociology names of V.I. Lenin, N.K. Krupskaya, A.M. Kollontay which made a big contribution to development of this direction are known. The feminism of the Marxist direction made breakthrough in the theory and implementation of the ideas. In a year of the two- hundredth anniversary since the birth of K. Marx numerous scientific conferences bring up the questions of social development which were occurring in Russia and caused considerable changes of social life again. The Marxist feminism was one of such significant events in the history of the country and in the history of domestic sociology. Now results and consequences of activity of supporters of the Russian Marxist feminism are reinterpreted. During the XX century their main ideas and achievements were exposed to criticism not only in the Russian, but also in foreign sociology. At the same time the author notes that the Marxist feminism develops and now on the basis of the general idea that the gender relations are parallel to class, interact with them and in a sense are their integral part. In modern sociology various directions within socialist feminism were created.


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