9 Chapter 4

nullChapter 4 Semantic Features Chapter 4 Semantic Features 词的语义特征nullSemantic features refers to the abstracted characteristics necessary to distinguish the category which the word names from all other categories. nullSemantic features are used to describe semantic universals that may characterize all languages. For example, we can distinguish nouns by using animate from inanimate referents, human from non-human, male from female, and so on, so the word girl has such semantic features: [animate][human][female] Binary analysis for nounsBinary analysis for nounsWe can analyze the semantic features on the basis of binary opposition(对分法). In other words, we use “+” and “-”to indicate respectively whether the word has some semantic feature or not. e.g. man [+Male, +Adult, +Human] woman [－Male, +Adult, +Human] boy [+ Male, － Adult, +Human] girl [－Male, － Adult, +Human] cow [－Male, +Adult, － Human] Semantic features of verbs (动词的语义特征) Semantic features of verbs (动词的语义特征) Verbs also possess semantic features. The most distinctive feature of verbs is [±Dynamic]. In other words, verbs can be classified into two major kinds: dynamic verbs(动态动词) and stative verbs (静态动词). nullDynamic verbs: activity verb: work, study, ask, play process verb: change, grow, slow down verb of bodily sensation: feel, itch, hurt transitional event verb: arrive, fall, lose momentary verb: nod, hit, jump Stative verbs: verb of perception and cognition: love, hate relational verbs: belong to, depend uponnullSubcategorization of verbs: transitive verbs: kill=[Cause]X[Die]Y intransitive verbs: die =[Cause]X[Die]X e.g. The flowers have died. The frost has killed the flowers. The tree has fallen. Someone has felled the tree. nullSubcategorization of verbs: Verbs → [±Volitive](意愿性特征) e.g. look/see; listen/hear John looked high and low for Mary, but he did not see her. We try to listen, but cannot hear anything. null根据语义特征，还可以对英语中一些形式是主动而意义是被动的不及物动词进行分析。如：wash, wear, write, read 等等。但是主语具备两个语义特征： [- human] [+ Concrete] The knife cuts well. The pen writes well. Dried food stores easily in camping. The field ploughs well after the rain. nullThe differences between the dynamic verbs and stative verbs: (1) Dynamic verbs can appear in imperative sentences but stative verbs cannot. Kick the ball! /Persuade him to leave! *Own the house! / *Resemble your mother! (2)Dynamic verbs can be used in progressive aspect, but stative verbs cannot. The boys are kicking the ball. *He is owning the house.null(3) Dynamic verbs can appear in a number of embeded sentences but stative verbs cannot. He told the boys to kick the ball. We asked them to persuade her. *He told me to own the house! / *I told him to resemble his mother! (4)Dynamic verbs can appear in the pseudo-cleft sentence with do pro-form, but stative verbs cannot. What I did was (to) learn the language. *What I did was to know the language. Semantic features of adjectives (形容词语义特征) Semantic features of adjectives (形容词语义特征)Adjectives can be also classified into dynamic and stative adjectives. The differences between the dynamic adjectives and stative adjectives are similar to those between dynamic verbs and stative verbs: (1) Be patient! /Be honest! *Be short! / *Be tipsy! (2) He is being patient. *He is being short. (3) I told her to be patient/honest. *I told her to be short. (4) What I did was to be honest. *What I did was to be short nullSome adjectives can be both dynamic and stative, but the meanings are different respectively. e.g. These maths problems are difficult to solve. English is not as difficult as Chinese to learn. (difficult: +dynamic adjective; subject: [-human]) Please don’t be so difficult. He is being difficult. (difficult: - dynamic adjective; subject: [+human]) difficult--(of a person) not easy to please or satisfy; （人）难以取悦的，挑剔的；难对付的：