Literal Meaning Research Articles

Understanding Effect of Ayurvedic Treatment in Prameha (Diabetes Mellitus) and its Upadrava (Complications)

Prameha is a syndrome described in the ancient Ayurvedic texts that includes clinical conditions involving metabolic syndrome and is said to be a Santarapanajanya Vyadhi. Prameha literary means anomalies of urinary secretions. On the basis of clinical features of Prameha, it correlates with diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic cum vascular syndrome of multiple etiologies characterised by chronic hyperglycemia. The disease Prameha can be understood as having three stages based on the severity of Dhatudusti. With the Dushti of all Dhatus, Upadrava of Prameha are manifested. Case: Present case study deals with a female patient 49 years old suffering from increased frequency of micturition during night and Parshvashool with coughing from 3 years. On taking a detailed history it was found that, it was Upadrava of Prameha. Treatment protocol: Patient was given Pradhamana Nasyam with Pippali Churna after proper intervention of Snehana and Nadi Swedan on chest, supraclvicular region, and Kati Pradesh on empty stomach in the early morning. After that a freshly prepared Kwatha about 50ml of Kalmegh Churna, Punarnavamool, Giloy and Shunthi was given at BD dose. And the same drugs were used for Lepan on Kati Pradesh. Results: Parshvashool and coughing was completely cured, BSF and PPBS came to its normal range, creatinine level decreased and there was a significant reduction in fatty liver. Conclusion: With proper therapy, drug intervention, diet control and exercise Prameha and its Upadrava can be managed successfully.

Macan Ali: A symbol of Acculturation between Islam and Javanese Mysticism in Cirebon

This article explores the practice of symbolization, investigating how flags acquire specific characteristics that enable their use as symbols. The main objective of this study is to describe the Macan Ali flag, with a particular focus on its connection to mysticism and Islam within the context of Javanese culture, specifically in Cirebon. This study reveals that the Macan Ali, when viewed as a symbol, can be interpreted as a concept that manifests as an entity embodying logical-analytical qualities. A comprehensive understanding of the philosophy of symbols allows for the harmonious integration of literal and figurative meanings within the Macan Ali symbol. Furthermore, it plays a pivotal role in harmonizing the two distinct concepts of Javanese mysticism and Islam. This synthesis underscores the multifaceted nature of symbols and their capacity to bridge diverse cultural and religious paradigms.

ASSERTIVE ACT IN JOE BIDEN’S FIRST INTERVIEW AS PRESIDENT ON THE 60 MINUTES YOUTUBE CHANNEL

This research examines the assertive acts employed by Joe Biden during his first interview as President on the 60 Minutes YouTube Channel. Using Searle & Vanderveken’s theory of speech acts, the study adopts a qualitative descriptive approach. Data collection involved watching videos, reading the transcript, and note-taking. The analysis identified 20 utterances which are categorized into eight types of assertive acts: admit, assure, claim, criticize, inform, rebut, report, and predict. The most frequently used of assertive act was “inform”, with 7 utterances, followed by "assure" with 3 utterances. Other acts such as “report”, “predict”, “claim”, and “admit” each appeared twice, while “criticize” and "rebut" were used once each. The study found that all assertive acts, except "criticize," were conveyed directly and literally. In conclusion, Joe Biden conveyed assertive acts by utilizing direct speech and literal meanings to effectively convey his message, particularly in assuring the public of his plans to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Automatic metaphor processing in developmental dyslexia

IntroductionPrevious research found metaphor impairments with dyslexia; however, it is unclear if difficulties are due to initial activation of the metaphorical meaning or to subsequent discourse integration processes. The study examines the presence of early automatic processing of metaphors in adults with developmental dyslexia, considering the role of executive functions and metaphor familiarity. MethodsUsing a sentence recall task and a semantic judgment task from the Metaphor Interference Effect (MIE) paradigm, we evaluated two early stages of metaphor comprehension, namely the generation of the figurative meaning and the suppression of the literal meaning. High and low familiar metaphors, and their scrambled counterparts, were aurally presented to participants, who were asked to judge whether sentences were literally true or literally false. Afterwards, they were provided ten minutes to recall the sentences they heard to verify the depth of processing for each type of stimulus. A total of 26 participants with dyslexia were included in the experimental group, and 31 in the control group. ResultsIndividuals with dyslexia showed a MIE and an accuracy rate that are similar to participants without dyslexia. Inhibition correlated with the MIE size only for high familiar metaphors, and working memory seemed to play no role in the process. In the recall task, both groups demonstrated a better encoding of the metaphorical sentences compared to scrambled metaphors, but participants with dyslexia recalled less metaphors than did the control group, showing that metaphors are no exception to the limitations in sentence retrieval typically found in dyslexia. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that individuals with dyslexia are comparable to participants without dyslexia in their ability to automatically compute metaphorical meanings. Thus, difficulties in metaphor comprehension in people with dyslexia that have been detected in previous studies might depend on meaning construction in context rather than online semantic processing.

Understanding EFL Students’ Processing of Idiomatic Expressions Out of Context: Insights Gained From Think-Alouds

The current study examines how EFL students confront the difficulty of comprehending English idioms without supportive context. It aims to study the online processing strategies Saudi EFL learners employ when giving the meaning of English idioms. The Idiom Recognition Test (IRT) and Think-aloud protocol were used to vary and measure the idiom's difficulty and to analyze the processing of the idiom immediately after visual perception. Twenty frequently used idioms representing formal and informal English were selected. They were of three types: English idioms, which have identical forms and meanings of Arabic equivalents; English idioms, which have similar forms and meanings of Arabic equivalents; and English idioms, which differ from Arabic idioms. Results showed that most of the participants had difficulty interpreting the English idioms. Moreover, participants most often drew on the literal meaning, using the compositional parts of the idiom. Referring to an L1 idiom was the second most successful strategy but the fourth most often employed out of the six strategies. The third most effective strategy was background knowledge, yet it was the least used overall. Consequently, the results support all the idiom processing models that emphasize the literal meaning over the figurative one.

An ERP study on the late stage of Chinese metaphor processing.

Psycholinguistic models of metaphor processing remain a subject of debate. A prime-probe design using Chinese materials with a specific time span (300 ms) was applied to test the mechanisms of metaphor processing. Conventional and familiarized metaphors were designed as primes, followed by a probe word semantically related to the prime metaphor (MT), a probe word related to the literal meaning of the final word of the prime metaphor (LT), control/unrelated probe word (UT), or non-word. Event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited by the probes were recorded to examine metaphor processing. In N400, results revealed that UT and LT elicited significantly more negative waveforms than MT in both primes. MTs and LTs showed no difference between conventional and familiarized metaphors, suggesting that metaphorical meaning may be accessed directly, regardless of whether conventional or familiarized metaphors. The results were generally compatible with the direct processing model.

Sarcasm Text Detection on News Headlines Using Novel Hybrid Machine Learning Techniques

One of the biggest problems with sentiment analysis systems is sarcasm. The use of implicit, indirect language to express opinions is what gives it its complexity. Sarcasm can be represented in a number of ways, such as in headings, conversations, or book titles. Even for a human, recognizing sarcasm can be difficult because it conveys feelings that are diametrically contrary to the literal meaning expressed in the text. There are several different models for sarcasm detection. To identify humorous news headlines, this article assessed vectorization algorithms and several machine learning models. The recommended hybrid technique using the bag-of-words and TF-IDF feature vectorization models is compared experimentally to other machine learning approaches. In comparison to existing strategies, experiments demonstrate that the proposed hybrid technique with the bag-of-word vectorization model offers greater accuracy and F1-score results.

Discerning Pervasive Figures of Speech in English Poetic Constructions

A figure of speech serves as a literary device, strategically employing words or phrases in a manner that transcends their literal meanings, and creates a distinct effect. This article aims to discern pervasive figures of speech in English poetic constructions crafted by various poets. Employing a qualitative stylistic approach, the article involves examples as the demonstrations,boldface words as discernment and explication of discerned figures of speech as clarification. It reveals the findings that figures of speech in poetic construction suggest rich layers of meaning, evoke vivid imagery and emotions, convey symbolic significance, enhance the musicality of the text, and invite readers to engage in interpretation and exploration. They are essential tools for poets to express complex ideas and evoke profound emotional responses from their readers. It is expected to prove beneficial to college students pursuing poetry as a major subject, as well as teachers keen on instructing figures of speech in English poetry. It is significant as it indicates that enhanced capacity for memorization and comprehension of figures of speech augments the overall grasp of poetic constructions thereby fostering a more profound understanding of entire poems among both students and teachers.

Comparative Analysis of Quranic Recitation: Investigating the “Good Pause” Conditions among Leading Scholars

This study aims to compare the prominent sources and scholars’ statements in this science (Pausing and beginning) in order to know the difference between the terms, and to highlight conditions of agreement and disagreement among scholars. The focus is, also, to uncover the most prominent terms and their meanings seen individually by the scholars whose books are under consideration in this study. The importance lies in revealing the literal meaning and uses of the term by ‘Pausing’ scholars, primarily Al-Dani in his book ‘Sufficient’ and the reasons behind his selectionof the term, and how concordant or contradictory he is with five of ‘Stopping’ scholars. These aims are achieved through inductive study and analytical comparison. The study revealed that there were 32 issues pointed out in ‘Good Stopping’ and 6 issues in ‘Beginning’. There were 14 issues exclusive to Al-Dani and 18 issues where he agreed with Al-Anbari. However, Al-Ashmuni agreed with Al-Dani on 5 issues, Al-Omani on 4 and Al-Sajawandi and Ibn Al-Nahhas on one issue, while comparing Al-Dani with the five well-known books on ‘Good Pause’, it appeared that they were in agreement on ( denotation) but in disagreement on (connotation).

Analysing Metaphor and Implicature in Poetry

Metaphors convey embedded meanings, which implies an interpretation beyond the literal meaning, and pragmatics is concerned with the contextual implicatures of an utterance or piece of communication. Hence, this study investigates the intertwining roles of metaphor and implicature in Obari Gomba's Poetry. The study uses the Searlian account of metaphor and Grice's Principle of implicature to analyse the poems. The research findings indicate that the poet used metaphor and conventional implicature to express his angst about the ill effects of pollution in oil-bearing communities, the deplorable conditions of living in some Nigerian cities, and the misfortunes of colonialism. The study concludes that metaphors and implicatures play a significant role in literary works by helping the poet to explain his experiences, emotions, and conjectures without ambiguity and too many clarifications.

Создание опросника прагматической компетентности детей 5-8 лет

<p>The work aims to test a new questionnaire for parents and educators to assess the pragmatic competence of children from 5 to 8 years old. Parents of 753 children and teachers of 903 children from preschool institutions took part in the testing, filling out the proposed questionnaire online. Subsequently, after the initial analysis, 674 parent questionnaires remained in the work, of which 287 questionnaires were from parents of five-year-old children (130 of them boys), 213 from parents of six-year-old children (108 boys), 131 from parents of seven-year-old children (60 boys) and 43 from parents of eight-year-old children (21 boys). And also 903 questionnaires of preschool teachers (at this stage we did not include a survey of school teachers): 487 children of 5 years old (214 boys), 409 children of 6 years old (206 boys) and 7 children of 7 years old (4 boys). Statistical analysis of the material included: 1) checking for normality of the distribution of answers; 2) analysis for consistency of the entire questionnaire, its scales and individual questions; 3) exploratory factor analysis; 4) confirmatory factor analysis; 5) identifying gender differences for each of the questions using the Mann-Whitney test. The study showed that the pragmatic competence of children includes: 1) understanding of the literal and figurative meaning of statements; 2) mastery of non-verbal means of communication; 3) communication skills: politeness, openness to communication, adequate response to the expectations of the interlocutor; 4) development of verbal creativity in various genres, including fantasy. The results of the analysis showed that girls’ pragmatic competence at the age of 5-8 years was better developed than boys, however, in general, in normatively developing children by the age of 5, the main aspects of pragmatic competence have already been developed, and in the future may deteriorate, but understanding the figurative meaning of statements continues to develop at school. This questionnaire requires some refinement and testing for test-retest and external validity.</p>

Lexical Relations in Joe Biden's Speech about Plan to Lower Prescription Drugs Cost: Semantics Study

The purpose of this research is to analyze the types of lexical relations and the types of meanings of lexical relations that appear in Joe Biden's Speech about the plan to reduce prescription drug prices. The method used in this research is qualitative method. The results of this research show that there are eight types of lexical relations and three types of semantic meanings; the types of lexical relations show that from 30 data that have been analyzed, eight synonym data (26.7%), ten antonym data (33.3%), three meronym data (10%), two polysemy data (6.7%), two hyponym data (6.7%), two member-collection data (6.7%), two portion-mass data (6.7%), and one homonym data (3.3%). Meanwhile, the types of semantic meanings found from 60 data that have been analyzed are 51 data of literal meaning (85%), 5 data of semi-idiomatic meaning (8.3%), and 4 data of fully idiomatic meaning (6.7%). Therefore, it can be concluded that the type of lexical relations that appears the most is antonyms at 33.3% and that the most common type of meaning is literal meaning, which is 85%. Keywords: Lexical relations, Semantics, Speech

The Origin of Esotericism: An Analysis of the Ismaili Esoteric Approach to Qur’anic Interpretation

This study examines the Ismaili method of interpreting Qur’anic verses, focusing on their esoteric hermeneutics. The Quran serves as a fundamental legislative source for various theological factions, each seeking to substantiate their claims by referencing its verses. It also stands as a principal source for muhaddithin, fuqahā (jurisprudents), and others, contributing to the emergence of tafsir, a discipline aimed at elucidating the Quran's meanings and intentions. Consequently, different schools of interpretation, or tafsir, have developed over time. One strand of interpretation adheres to the literal meaning of the text, known as Zāhir, while another explores mystical or esoteric meanings, termed Bātin, occasionally without strong support from Arabic language or Qur’anic and Hadith evidence. Among Shiite sects, the Ismailis distinguish themselves as one of the most enduring, recognizing Ismail bin Ja'far al-Sādiq as their Imam and establishing influential states in Islamic history, such as the Qarmatian state in Bahrain (899–1077) and the Fatimid Caliphate in North Africa (909/1171). To thoroughly investigate this subject, a qualitative research approach is proposed. Given the historical and theological nature of the topic, qualitative methods, such as textual analysis and historical research, facilitate a comprehensive exploration and interpretation of complex phenomena. The findings of this research indicate that Ismailism has heavily relied on the esoteric interpretation of Qur’anic verses since its inception, aligning with Ismaili belief systems, with Qur’anic verses assuming a more significant role than Hadith in their doctrinal framework. The essence of this article lies in delving into the Ismaili approach to esoteric hermeneutics, predominantly drawing from the sect's primary sources.

Sections of the Arabic Language and The Interaction of Eloquence and Syntax in Arabic

The article deals with the interaction between Nahw and eloquence in classical and modern standard Arabic. In this regard, the parameters of linguistic variation and diglossia, eloquence - as a system of metaphors, al-mani ul-l-bayn, al-mani ul-l-maani, al-mani ul-l-art, the relationship of Arabic eloquence with the semantics of stylistics, the grammatical meaning of the factor, the concept of "sentence" in Arabic, stylistics, linguistics, semio-syntactic features of figures of speech, linguistic deviations and eloquence, semantic expression forms of syntactic categories and others. applied. The main sources of the research are the language materials of classical and modern Arabic literature. In particular, the works of medieval Arab eloquents, Nahwis, and modern Arabic and Western linguists were widely contacted and used as a source of research. The literal meaning of the word eloquence is "fluent, correct and clear expression". As a term, it is used in two senses. The first meaning is "ability" and the second meaning is "science". In Western languages (in French), the words "éloquence" are used instead of the meaning of "ability", and "rhetorique" is used instead of the meaning of "science". Eloquence as a skill is the use of words fluently, correctly, in place and at the right time. In other words, it is the sufficient and timely expression of the opinion orally or in writing. Before eloquence was studied as a science, it existed as a faculty in the language of poets, writers, and orators, and even in the language of the people.

A Journey towards Self-discovery in Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness

The research paper sheds light on the self-discovery of Charles Marlow and considers it as a journey of initiation which extends itself to the new unending existence. There is no time and space in it, which remains vacant for advent of a new life. It examines the pursuit of Kurtz, the head of the inner station. This study objectifies both inner and outer stations for a new experiment. This is seen as a self-discovery of one’s inner spirit. These pictures, in the novella, adopt a method depicting both figurative and literal meanings. It is obviously a pursuit of self-discovery focused on the discovery of Africa and the impact of imperialism. It develops two stations are one the people and another their colonial rule. Basically, Marlow’s journey appears to be as if Joseph Conrad presents himself as a cloak of true journey. The paper portrays the physical journey in the Heart of Darkness in which the inner and outer realities are complementary to each another. The inner journey has a profound effect on unconscious thoughts and actions. It shows Marlow’s capability to differentiate between good and evil since he observes how progress implies the moral sense of judgment.

İbn ‘Acîbe’nin Kur’ân Tefsirinde Kozmik Öznellik

In his autobiography the Moroccan Sufi Aḥmad Ibn ‘Ajība cites an incident in which his saintly grandmother gives a command to a snake and the reptile fulfils the lady’s order. Undoubtedly, the story demonstrates the special powers granted to the saintly woman, but is the snake she interacts with also special? Or do natural entities in general understand and know more than we ordinarily think? Whereas the Qur’ān repeatedly emphasises the “animated quality of nature,” portraying the conscious, knowing and even wise cosmos, the works of exegesis often interpret such verses metaphorically (majāz) as eloquent expressions of God’s power and universal submission to it. How to reconcile this widespread figurative understanding with the numerous Sufi accounts of the alive, knowing, and understanding cosmos (similar to the incident mentioned by Ibn ‘Ajība)? To answer this question and more broadly, to reflect upon the understudied issue of cosmic subjectivity in the Sufi works of tafsīr, this article looks into Ibn ‘Ajība’s Qur’ānic commentary al-Baḥr al-Madīd (The Immense Ocean), which masterfully blends exoteric and esoteric approaches to the scripture and which is aimed at general public (rather than the initiates on the Sufi path). Whereas the Sufi master himself clearly perceives everything in creation as an understanding subject, he also succeeds in seamlessly bringing together various interpretations (including purely metaphorical readings), recognising their validity and suitability for different audiences. The highest level, however, is to realise that the literal meaning of the Qur’ānic description of the cosmos accurately captures the aspects of reality hidden from senses: the spiritually enlightened actually “see” with the eye of baṣīra that the cosmos is alive, conscious, and knowledgeable, and that everything in it is ultimately a vessel manifesting Divine names.

What Is It to Be Responsible for What You Say?

AbstractIn asserting something I incur certain kinds of liabilities, including a responsibility for the truth of the content I express. If I say ‘After leaving the EU, the UK will take back control of c. £350 million per week’, or I tell you that ‘The number 14 bus stops at the British Museum’, I become liable for the truth of these claims. As my audience, you could hold me unreliable or devious if it turns out that what I said is false. Yet this socio-linguistic practice – of acquiring and ascribing ‘linguistic liability’ – is complicated, especially given philosophical distinctions between the various different kinds of contents people can express (am I liable, for instance, for the claim that the number 14 bus stops at the British Museum today or only usually?). This paper explores the different kinds of contents speakers might be taken to express, arguing that our practices around linguistic liability (including in legal disputes) reveal a crucial role for a notion of context-independent, literal meaning attaching to words and sentences. These practices thus vindicate what philosophers tend to term ‘minimal semantic content’.

The Pragmatic Functions of the Discourse Marker ‘Saha’ in Algerian Spoken Arabic

The present study investigates the various pragmatic functions of the discourse marker ‘saha’ which is used as an interjection in Algerian spoken Arabic. The literal meaning of this discourse marker is ‘health’ but it has other different pragmatic functions depending on the context in which it is used. Moreover, it is a sound effect noun that has a socio-communicative role. The data gathered for this discourse marker is based on the daily observations of conversations where ‘saha’ is used in different contexts by Algerian students in the campus of the University of Jordan. Eventually, in this study, fourteen different pragmatic functions are reported, showing various functions identified from naturally occurring conversations between Algerian students.

Wilhelm Dilthey's Thoughts on Understanding, Hermeneutics and Communication

Wilhelm Dilthey, a towering figure in the realm of philosophy, dedicated his life's work to unravelling the complexities of human experience. Dilthey believed that life is not merely a series of random events, but a tapestry woven from these experiences, which collectively influence our perspectives and sense of being. By examining Dilthey's thoughts on communication as a process of shared knowledge and meaning making, we gain valuable insights into how we bridge the gap between different perspectives and forge deeper connections. Through a quantitative approach and literature review Dilthey's perspectives are analyzed. Dilthey believed a text goes beyond its literal meaning; it symbolizes deeper significance. Understanding the true depth of a symbol requires venturing beyond its surface meaning and delving into its historical context. Symbols are not merely arbitrary signs; they are often imbued with layers of meaning accumulated over time. These layers reflect the cultural, social, and political landscapes from which the symbol emerged. To fully grasp the symbolic meaning, then, requires an exploration of its historical journey. Despite the occasional inclusion of natural science objects in humanities, Dilthey saw a clear distinction between the two. He saw understanding as a process of grasping the intended meaning rooted in life experiences. Therefore, Dilthey's concept of meaning is historical highlighting the significance of personal and collective life experiences in interpretation.

SYMBOLISM AND ITS ARTISTIC AND SEMANTIC DIMENSIONSIN THE NOBLE QURAN: A CASE STUDY OF STORY OF PROPHET YUSUF

Among the literary devices that aid works of art to convey specific meanings and hook the attention of reader is symbolism. This is when a word or an image or character represents a complex idea, feeling and thought that is beyond the literal meaning; either in poetry, novel, story, picture and sculpture. Al-Quran being masterpiece of Arabic language and literature, contains stories that are characterized of various techniques, including symbolism. It is, therefore, the interest of this paper to examine the use of this technique and its dimensional meaning in the story of Prophet Yusuf. The paper employs a qualitative research approach which is descriptive and interpretive to respond to the emerging questions such as; what is symbolism? What is the features and factors behind its usage? To what extent does the story of Yusuf contain symbolism and meanings. Findings reveal among other things, that featuring of symbolism in the story of the Prophet Yusuf would enable one to appreciate the unique literary form of the al-Qur’an. The paper concludes that knowledge of literary tools enhances deep understanding of the Quranic text that leads to the proper understand Islam.