Semantics and Lexicology

1
Semantics and Lexicology

• Generativist semantics

2
From structuralist semantics

• Semantic features, components

3
From generative, formal syntax

• Putting meanings together
• Using formal, structure-internal, rules
• Mentalism, user judgements

4
To what extent is meaning relevant in syntax?

• Autonomuos syntax
• Morris, Carnap syntax, semantics and pragmatics
• Formal syntax in mathematics and logic
• Chomsky, Syntactic structures, 1957
• Introduction of semantics to generative grammar
• Katz Fodor
• Split Interpretive semantics and generative
  semantics

5
Katz et al.

• Markers and distinguishers
• Projections rules
• Selection restrictions

6
Formal rules vs judgements in context

• Can formal rules make the right choice among
  senses of lexical items?

7
Lexical components and syntactic combination

• Markers should express meaning that is
  syntactically relevant

8
Linguistic meaning and world knowledge

• Analytic and synthetic sentences

9
What is lexical and what is grammatical?

• The enemy destroyed the city ?
  the destruction of the city by the enemy ?
• (cause x (become (not (alive y)))) ? x kill y ?

10
How much is lexical?

• Lexicalism in Generative grammar
• Lexical rules in Lexical functional grammar
• Construction grammar

11
Meaning internal and external

• Structuralism paradigmatic relations
• Generativism internal relations, formal, mental,
  syntactic rationalism
• Reintroduction of the external world
• Formal logic with truth conditions
• World knowledge, frames
• Experiential basis in cognition

12
How much world knowledge should be included?

• Formal semantics
• Neostructuralist semantics
• Computational linguistics
• Cognitive linguistics

13
Contributions

• Combination of meaning
• Mental, cognitive perspective

14
Problems

• Semantic combination rather than syntactic
  combination of meaning is needed
• Relations to the empirical world
• World knowledge
• Contextual application