Semantics vs Pragmatics
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Semantics: the study of meaning that can be determined from a sentence, phrase or word.
Pragmatics: the study of meaning, as it depends on context (speaker, situation)
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Semantics and Pragmatics
Pragmatics=waste basket?
That’s the boss? (Itu bosnya kan?) THAT’s the boss? (Orangnya kecil jelek tapi bisa jadi boss ya?
Is that the boss? (yes/no Question)
Some instances
It’s hot here! (open the window, switch on the fan/AC)
It’s cold outside! (please don’t go out) Would you mind to open the door? (polite
request) (direct and indirect) Lha koq kowe? (Read: keheranan) Lha aku koq! (Read: Penegasan,lebay) Lha koq ngono? (Read: pertanyaan)
John went to the book store. John store1, go(John, store1)
John bought a book. buy(John,book1)
John gave the book to Mary. give(John,book1,Mary)
Mary put the book on the table. put(Mary,book1,table1)
LING 2000 - 2006 NLP
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Language to Logic in semantics
(1) John broke the window with a hammer.
(2)The hammer broke the window.
(3) The window broke.
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SemanticsSame event - different sentences
John broke the window with a hammer. SUBJ VERB OBJ MODIFIER
The hammer broke the window. SUBJ VERB OBJ
The window broke. SUBJ VERB
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Same event - different syntactic frames
break(AGENT, INSTRUMENT, PATIENT)
AGENT PATIENT INSTRUMENT John broke the window with a hammer.
INSTRUMENT PATIENT The hammer broke the window.
PATIENT The window broke.
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Semantics -predicate arguments
AGENT PATIENT INSTRUMENT John broke the window with a hammer. SUBJ OBJ MODIFIER
INSTRUMENT PATIENT The hammer broke the window. SUBJ OBJ
PATIENT The window broke. SUBJ
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1. The chicken is ready to eat 2. the shooting of the hunter occurred
yesterday(penembakan pemburu itu) . 3.visiting relatives can be boring 4. we saw her dog. 5. istri tentara yang genit itu tersenyum
padaku. 6. colorless green ideas sleep furiously
(Chomsky:1957).
There always be ambiguity in semantics
Ngebut? Benjut!
Hidden message?
Let’s get married….
• Dialog and pragmatic knowledge– “open the door” is a REQUEST (as opposed to a
STATEMENT or information-question)– It is polite to respond, even if you’re planning to
kill someone .– What is `that’ in `I can’t do that’?– What is “that” in “ I really know about that”?– What is “This” in “This is just I really want in my
life”?– What is “those” in “Those people are crazy”?
“Open the door” kiya matlab ?
One statement I AM HUNGRY has many interpretation depends on the variety of speakers.
I AM HUNGRY for a kid to his mother: he asks for a cake or a candy.
I AM HUNGRY for a hobo or street beggar to pedestrians: he asks for a bread or “nasi bungkus” or “money”
I AM HUNGRY for a boy to a girl: namanya MODUS… (he is,in fact, doesn’t feel hungry)
The speaker’s meaning
The language of headlines
Words have power