6.Semantics-Sentence_Meaning___(Predication_Analysis_(new).ppt

Sentence meaning: Predication Analysis 楚军　外国语学院 Semantics 惫讯轻终诊综谰并鱼瞪科潦垣婶己其誉懦巢猿巳苑燃炯连彬醇臆哑嘉报罐6.Semantics-Sentence_Meaning___(Predication_Analysis_(new)6.Semantics-Sentence_Meaning___(Predication_Analysis_(new) The Semantic Structure of Sentences How about this hypothesis? --the meaning of a sentence is merely the sum of the meanings of the words and other constituents which compose it. Without ‘predication analysis’, we could not tell the difference of meaning between: My wife has a new dog. My new wife has a dog. My new dog has a wife. (All these would have to be regarded as synonymous with the help of ‘CA’.) 焊稳悟这销望鲁眼吐鲁光荣钓锯疑顿泛桌批胖防舶启盾柒外嗓乐莎厚枚衙6.Semantics-Sentence_Meaning___(Predication_Analysis_(new)6.Semantics-Sentence_Meaning___(Predication_Analysis_(new) Predications, Arguments and Predicates Predication (述谓): For the following three sentences: The children ate their dinner. Did the children eat their dinner? Eat your dinner, children! Leaving aside differences of tense and pronouns, these sentences share a common content ‘Children eat dinner’ and this kind of structure is considered under the name of ‘predication’. 檄未赶踌恤蚌仁备玩当颂桩仪膛枢雏你救贷困腮益毙粘储磋侈死囤卷镶疮6.Semantics-Sentence_Meaning___(Predication_Analysis_(new)6.Semantics-Sentence_Meaning___(Predication_Analysis_(new) Predications consist of Arguments and Predicates which consist of Features. For spatial relations (three semantic oppositions): →DIRECTION / ←DIRECTION (directional contrast between ‘in front of’ and ‘behind’, ‘over’ and ‘under’, etc.) + HORIZONTAL (‘horizontal’) - HORIZONTAL (‘vertical’) + LATERAL (‘side-to-side’) - LATERAL (‘back-to-back’) Predications, Arguments and Predicates 肖况曹店姬歧欠盗滦晦瓶荫堡盒融祸袖轧搐低涌粒厨亡谩竞劳窍队樱聚枫6.Semantics-Sentence_Meaning___(Predication_Analysis_(new)6.Semantics-Sentence_Meaning___(Predication_Analysis_(new) An example “A man is /was in front of a woman.” (see the diagram p.128, Leech) Predicate and argument have different roles in the