Types of meaning

David Burda
Denotative meaning

-denotative meaning, logical meaning, cognitive meaning,
dictionary meaning, or conceptual meaning
-specifically refers to the definition of a word or phrase in the
dictionary
"Karama is a man." =>a person/human + an adult + male
"Selina is a woman" => a person/human + an adult + female/-
male

-purpose: providing clear and specific representation- easily

distinguished from other meanings

-guided by two principles: contrast (hot and cold) and

arrangement (how words or phrases are arranged to create a
meaning)
Associative meaning
Connotative meaning
- conveys various emotional, cultural, and social
associations that add depth and richness to understanding
-woman- not just human, female or not male adult but is also
seen as having maternal instincts, is wearing a skirt
(Sana,2021)
Social meaning
- refers to meanings specific to particular society or social
context= reveal social background and relationship
-stylistic features: dialectic words,formality, slang
home- domicile (formal, in legal documents), residence (slightly
less formal), and home (general conversation) or abode (poetic or
literary ) (Sana,2021)
Affective meaning
- refers to personal feelings and attitude
-conveyed through the words, intonation and tone (sarcastic-
negative attitude to the listener/topic)
"you are a vicious tyrant and a villainous reprobation, and I hate
you. I hate you, you idiot. I am terribly sorry, but if you would be so
kind as to lower your voice a little." (Pm, 2009)
Reflected meaning
- multiple conceptual meanings to the word
"gay"- cheerful and carefree, today refer to homosexuality
"intercourse"- the physical activity of sex (today), communication
between people, counties, etc. (old fashioned) (Intercourse Noun,
n.d.)
Associative meanings

Collocative meaning

- the word acquires its meaning in company of certain words

-words collocate or co-occur with certain words only

-pretty and handsome indicate good looking

-wander (cows wander to neighbour´s farm) and stroll (cows

cannot stroll, stroll associated with humans only)

-also refers to preferences or restrictions

“fast” can collocate with “car”, “food”, “pace”

but odd with “tree” or “window”

Lexical meanings

Propositional Presupposed meaning

- from the relation between what it refers to and describes - Arises from co-occurrence restrictions=on what other words
or expressions we expect to see after or before a lexical unit
-we can consider whether the statement is true or false

Shirt- worn on the upper part of the body- to describe that it is worn - 2 types: selectional- a function of the propositional meaning
on foot would be incorrect
of a word=> words that are expected
Expressive meaning (studious student, geometrical shape)

- can´t judge if it is true or false collocational- do not follow logically

-relates to speaker's feelings and attitude from the

whinge and complain- synonyms, whinge expresses annoyance => propositional meaning of a word
same propositional meaning but different expressive (teeth are washed in Polish and
cruel and unkind- disapproval, cruel much stronger than unkind cleaned in Russian)
Lexical meanings

Evoked meaning - register: field of discourse(what is going on around me)

- from dialect and register variation tenor of discourse (relationship between

-dialect: geographical (American dialect- candy floss speakers)

and cotton candy and lift and elevator) mode of discourse (role of the language-

temporal (used at different periods in the speech, essay and lecture)

history of language: cereal and really)

social (different social classes: scent and

perfume)
 ● Intercourse noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation
Refrences and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com. (n.d.).
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/en
glish/intercourse?q=intercourse
● Pm, L. (2009, February 22). Seven Types of Meaning in
Semantics. Litton's Universe of English Teaching.
Retrieved February 18, 2023, from
http://universeofenglish.blogspot.com/2009/02/seven-
types-of-meaning-in-semantics.html
● Sana. (2021, October 25). Different Types of Meaning in
Semantics. Literary English. Retrieved February 18,
2023, from https://literaryenglish.com/different-types-of-
meaning-in-semantics/
● Vogel, R. (2014). Basics of Lexicology (Masarykova
Univerzita. Katedra Anglického Jazyka A Literatury, Ed.;
2nd ed.). Munipress.
Thank You!