Meaning Of Word Research Articles

When more is less: the impact of multimorphemic words on learning word meaning

Abstract Monomorphemic words have been found to influence category formation, as they encode one general category and thus activate it more than other related categories in the same lexical network. On the other hand, multimorphemic words can encode multiple categories from the same network by the multiple forms they combine. Superordinate categories are encoded by sub-lexical forms (e.g., affixes), while the entire words encode lower categories in the hierarchical structure. In the present study, we asked whether sub-lexical forms influence the learning of the meaning encoded by the entire word they underlie. We used Semitic-like words where sub-lexical forms (syllabic patterns) encode superordinate categories of manner-of-motion, and the entire words encode lower-level categories (moving characters). In our main experiment, a word-learning test showed that a shared syllabic pattern had a negative effect on the learning of the moving characters encoded by the entire word. This effect was revealed mainly in dimensions related to the superordinate category encoded by the pattern. The effect and its direction are beyond the expectations of enhanced category representations suggested in previous literature. We conclude that the effect of word-form is beyond the specific category they encode and can have different directions at different hierarchical levels.

Guessing Meaning Strategies and Arabic Reading Comprehension Ability Among Chinese College Students

Guessing word meanings is vital for acquiring deep reading and adequate text comprehension, as the study implies that the cross-sectional approach quantitatively assesses the effect of guessing meaning strategies on Chinese university Arabic students' reading performance. There was significant evidence of the perfect relationship between the mastery of the guessing meaning strategy and the improvement of reading comprehension scores presented through the analysis of Chinese universities' data (r = 0.306, p < 0.01). It shows the vital importance of these approaches in raising reading skills. Students are well-positioned to carry out word investigation in terms of the etymology or roots of words, whether they are antonyms, synonyms, or synonymous phrases that help them deduce the meanings of words they are not familiar with and find out the meanings or explanations systematically in their reading. Guessing meaning strategies should be used in the Arabic language teaching curriculum in China to ensure that Arabic instructors can make learning enjoyable, thus value learning and acquiring language competencies. Additionally, different language contexts should be examined by future research to know the educational benefits and implications of these strategies.

The Interaction and De-Categorization of Word Meaning Categories—The Radical Stage of Word Meaning Evolution

This paper employs the framework of "dynamic categorization" from cognitive linguistics to examine a more radical phase of word meaning derivation. Specifically, it investigates the interaction between word meaning categories and de-categorization in order to elucidate the principles governing word meaning derivation. Through a comprehensive analysis of extensive Chinese and English corpora, our findings indicate that the interaction between word meaning categories primarily is manifested in two forms: (1) expansion between adjacent categories; (2) expansion between analogous categories. The expansion between adjacent categories encompasses linguistic, conceptual, and factual expansions, whereas expansion between analogous categories involves both objective and psychological similarities. Such interaction between word meaning categories may result in partial grammaticalization, antonymization, and polysemy. De-categorization, on the other hand, is primarily achieved through word conversion, grammaticalization, and subjectivization. These processes contribute to the evolution of word meaning beyond conventional clustering models, transitioning from concrete to abstract and from literal to figurative interpretations.

Emojis elicit semantic parafoveal-on-foveal (PoF) effects during reading

ABSTRACT Semantic parafoveal-on-foveal (PoF) effects, in which the meaning of a parafoveal word influences the processing of the foveal word, indicate that readers engage in extensive parafoveal processing of upcoming words. To test if emojis elicit semantic PoF effects, we examined eye movements while participants read sentences containing a target word (e.g., coffee in “I enjoyed my tall coffee”) that was followed either by a semantically congruent emoji (e.g., ; Alt text: “coffee emoji”), an incongruent emoji (e.g., ; Alt text: “beer mug emoji”), or no emoji. First-pass fixation durations were shorter on the foveal target word when the parafoveal emoji was semantically congruent rather than incongruent. Furthermore, the presence of an emoji (compared to no emoji) led to faster first-pass fixation durations for the preceding target word, which indicates that emojis can modulate the processing of preceding words.

A least-squares framework for developing interval type-2 fuzzy semantics

The developing of IT2 fuzzy semantics is critical for computing with words (CWW), but exiting approaches lack flexibility and fail to adapt user’s diversified demands. The study proposes a least-squares framework for designing CWW encoders that construct interval type-2 fuzzy sets (IT2 FSs) to represent the semantic meanings of linguistic words. In the least-squares framework, an CWW encoder is characterized by two elements: an intra-uncertain semantic mapping and an inter-uncertain semantic family. The intra-uncertain semantic mapping transforms data intervals into type-1 fuzzy sets (T1 FSs), then an optimal IT2 FS is derived from the inter-uncertain semantic family using the least-squares method. Furthermore, several intra-uncertain semantic mappings are introduced, and a compatibility measure is defined to facilitate model selection. The least-squares framework benefits from the flexible selection of intra-uncertain semantic mappings and least-squares optimization-based construction of IT2 FSs. In experiments, the least-squares framework is applied to handle real-world online survey data and the large-scale online review data set of a Chinese life service review site, Dianping.com. Compared to the enhanced interval approach and the Hao-Mendel approach, the least-squares framework shows its favorable efficiency in experiments and statistical tests, and adapts to user-defined intra- and inter-uncertain semantic families.

Implicit semantics gates visual awareness

The current study asked whether impoverished peripheral vision led to perception immune from word-based semantic influences. We leveraged a peripheral sound-induced flash illusion. In each trial, two or three Mandarin characters were flashed quickly in the periphery with number-congruent or -incongruent beeps. We first successfully replicated the original illusions, showing auditory dominance. For example, when three characters were presented together with two beeps, the observer reported perceiving only two characters. Similarly, an additional beep induced an illusory visual percept. Crucially, when the three characters formed a meaningful word, the lack of a concurrent beep suppressed the awareness to a greater extent. A separate experiment replicated the effect on participants who were unable to recognize the words. When the reading was disrupted by reversing the presentation order, the effect disappeared. These findings demonstrate the capacity of our visual system to extract peripheral linguistic information without conscious word recognition.

From words to senses: A sense-based approach to quantitative polysemy detection across disciplines

Interdisciplinary polysemy refers to the phenomenon in which a word is understood and used differently across disciplines or fields. Nuanced variations in word meanings pose a significant challenge to effective communication and knowledge integration, especially in academic and professional settings. To address these issues, we propose the Interdisciplinary Polysemy Detection (IPD) method, which streamlines the identification of polysemous words by making the process more automatic, objective and efficient. IPD not only identifies polysemous words but also quantifies the extent of semantic variation within and across disciplines, providing deeper insights into the scale and nature of meaning shifts in different contexts. The evaluation results demonstrate that IPD can identify interdisciplinary polysemy effectively, showing heightened sensitivity to subtle differences in word senses. This sensitivity makes IPD a useful tool for both researchers and educators, helping to improve communication across fields and contributing to the development of more tailored pedagogical resources. The broader implications of this method may extend to enhancing the understanding of semantic variation in interdisciplinary research and advancing knowledge transfer between specialised domains.

Phonological Error Analysis in Reading Arabic Texts by Ninth Grade Students at the Wustha Level, Nurus Salam Islamic Boarding School, Mentayan, Bantan Subdistrict, Bengkalis Regency

This study attempts to identify the causes that led to the phonological mistakes of the stressing side, pauses, tones, and intonations in the Arabic text read by students at the Nurus Salam Mentayan Resident House's 9th grade Wustha level. The error analysis approach is used in this investigation to track the development of Arabic text reading abilities. In addition to recording techniques, freely engaged dialectical methods and observation are used in data collection. The study's findings demonstrated 50 errors in the stressed speech in both the speech and the sentence. The pause happened when one spoke the ma`rifat phrases in a sentence or number when one spoke the word Qaul and the phrase that came from it, and when one spoke the words and responses. 43 reading tones do not match the word's meaning; 4) 32 intonations on the intonation tune do not match the sentence or number's context. Since intonations are uttered consistently without regard to meaning, they cannot convey the structure and meaning of numbers. Several variables contribute to the incidence of mistakes, such as: 1) When it comes to suprasegmental sounds, particularly stressing, pauses, tones, and intonation, teachers pay insufficient attention to them. 2) In theory, no subjects like ashwat can accept the super-segmental sound element. 3) The mother tongue heavily impacts the use of this suprasegmental noise, as the students' reading habits of Indonesians are also flat, meaning they ignore tone, intonation, stressing, and pauses.

Embeddings for Efficient Literature Screening: A Primer for Life Science Investigators

As the number of publications is quickly growing in any area of science, the need to efficiently find relevant information amidst a large number of similarly themed articles becomes very important. Semantic searching through text documents has the potential to overcome the limits of keyword-based searches, especially since the introduction of attention-based transformers, which can capture contextual nuances of meaning in single words, sentences, or whole documents. The deployment of these computational tools has been made simpler and accessible to investigators in every field of research thanks to a growing number of dedicated libraries, but knowledge of how meaning representation strategies work is crucial to making the most out of these instruments. The present work aims at introducing the technical evolution of the meaning representation systems, from vectors to embeddings and transformers tailored to life science investigators with no previous knowledge of natural language processing.

From Sensations to Contrast, Opposition and Numbers

Language can be deceptively simple in its use yet frustratingly complex in its analysis. Its apparent clarity often masks an inherent complexity, rendering the true meaning of words simultaneously obvious and elusive. This inquiry investigates the multifaceted nature of meaning, encompassing not only language but also forms of expression that do not rely on spoken or written words. Central to this exploration is uncovering the body's role in creating and shaping meaning. The article presents a summary of the sensory schema theory, introduced in the author's previous publications, and examines its application through selected examples. These examples include the notions of scales, opposition, integers, and the number line derived from the sensory schema.

Digital Comic Media Development to Overcome Students’ Difficulty in Learning Figurative Language Grade V Elementary School

Figurative language as one of the materials in Indonesian language learning, is very important to learn. However, there are still many students who have difficulty understanding the material. Difficulty understanding the material will result in difficulty understanding the meaning of words. This study aims to develop digital comic media on figurative language material for grade V elementary school students. This type of research is development research with the ADDIE development model. The data collection techniques used in this research are observation, interviews, documentation, questionnaires, and tests. The data analysis techniques used were the normality test, t-test, and <em>N-Gain</em> test. The results of the assessment of the feasibility of digital comics from material experts obtained a score of 89.87%. While the assessment of media experts obtained a value of 88.05%. In addition, responses from users on small-scale product trials obtained a percentage of 98.33% from students and 100% from homeroom teacher. Meanwhile, during the large-scale product trial, a percentage of 98.18% was obtained from students and 100% from homeroom teacher. The effectiveness of digital comics on figurative language material is evidenced in the t-test, with the results in the small-scale product trial a value of 𝑡 of 11.366 > with a value of 2.571. While in the large-scale product trial obtained amounting to 16.115 > with a value of 2.080. In the <em>N-Gain</em> test, the small-scale product trial obtained an <em>N-Gain</em> of 0.77 and the large-scale product trial obtained an <em>N-Gain</em> of 0.74.

The Role of Gender in Cognitive Processing of Affective Linguistic Stimuli in Bilinguals

This study aims to compare the emotional reactions of bilingual men and women to affective valence by manipulating positive and negative linguistic stimuli. To achieve this aim, the semantic decision task was used. 56 Persian-English bilinguals, who were divided into two equal groups considering their gender (28 female and 28 male), were asked to decide whether the adjectives loaded with positive or negative valence (i.e., target words) were related in meaning to the preceding nouns (i.e., prime words). In order to find out whether there is any potential interaction between the valence of primes and targets, mixed factorial repeated measure ANOVA was run on reaction time and error rate data. The results of the present study on cognitive gender differences show that males and females, despite some few differences, generally follow a similar pattern in processing affective meaning of words in their second language.

Многозначные слова и их значения в карачаево-балкарском языке

The article focuses on the subject of polysemy in the Karachay-Balkar language. Through polyse-my, new concepts appear in a language without changing or with a slight change in the sound ex-pression of these concepts. The development of polysemy is based on the figurative meaning or one meaning of an existing word to a new concept through the associative connection of ideas similar to them. Therefore, an unconditional condition for the development of polysemy is the stability of the phonetic word, which in turn is determined by the concept it expresses. Polysemy should be recognized as an important method of expanding vocabulary, particularly the root word. The main obstacle to detect and define new meanings of words stems from the fact that a new meaning might emerge and disappear in a relatively short period, while other meanings emerge and firmly enter the language lexicon, preserving word frequency. However, all these changes are not always recorded in dictionary entries and this phenomenon in the modern language is one of the key problems and requires identifying ways to solve it.

A language-agnostic model of child language acquisition

This work reimplements a recent semantic bootstrapping child language acquisition (CLA) model, which was originally designed for English, and trains it to learn a new language: Hebrew. The model learns from pairs of utterances and logical forms as meaning representations, and acquires both syntax and word meanings simultaneously. The results show that the model mostly transfers to Hebrew, but that a number of factors, including the richer morphology in Hebrew, makes the learning slower and less robust. This suggests that a clear direction for future work is to enable the model to leverage the similarities between different word forms.

Academic vocabulary for L2 argumentative writing: Perspectives from Chinese university EFL learners

Academic vocabulary plays a critical role in L2 argumentative writing. Recent studies have specifically examined the importance of academic vocabulary and academic word lists for EAP and ESP learning and research. However, it is unclear how English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners perceive academic vocabulary and the challenges they face using this vocabulary in university argumentative essays. The present study adopted a case study approach to investigate Chinese university EFL learners’ perceptions of, and problems with, academic vocabulary in an argumentative writing task. Five fourth-year advanced EFL learners were assigned to write an IELTS essay before participating in a one-on-one interview. The results indicated that while participants had a heightened awareness of the importance of academic vocabulary, they lacked a comprehensive understanding of this construct. More specifically, they knew little about the academic register, and their academic vocabulary size was small. Consequently, various problems arose in relation to the use of academic words in their argumentative writing, including word choice and the over-reliance on Chinese word meaning and word spelling knowledge. The EFL learners also reported that the biggest challenge to their academic writing was the lack of academic collocation knowledge. These findings have pedagogical implications for understanding the academic lexical problems facing Chinese EFL learners in their academic writing.

Modern Trends in Western Criticism

Westren New Criticism was a formalist movement in literary theory. New criticism developed as a reaction to the older philological and literary history that dominated literary criticism in the middle decades of the 20th century, which focused on the history and meaning of individual words and their relation to foreign and ancient languages, comparative sources, and the biographical circumstances of the others. The new critics felt that this approach tended to distract from the text and meaning of a poem and entirely neglect its aesthetic qualities in favor of teaching about external factors. New criticism believed the structure and meaning of the text were intimately connected and should not be analyzed separately. In order to bring the focus of literary studies back to analysis of the texts. The new critics also looked for paradox, paradox, ambiguity, irony, and tension to help establish the single best and most unified interpretation of the text. Reference: Sajjad Baqir Rizvi, Dr, Critical Principles of the West, Islamabad: Moqtadra Qaumi Language, 2002, p: 7 Atiqullah, Professor, The Tradition of Criticism in the Maghreb, Lahore: Haqq Publications, 2018, p: 402 Ibid Asghar Ali Baloch, Dr, Essay, A Brief Review of Some Important Critical Schools, Content: Criticism Past, Present and Future, Author: Dr. Mushtaq Adil, Sahiwal: Farogh Zaban Publishers, p: 84 Atiqullah, Professor, The Tradition of Criticism in the West, pp. 243-244 Ibid Jameel Jalbi, Ph.D., Eliot's Essays, Contents, From Aristotle to Eliot, Islamabad: National Book Foundation, 2015, P.: 178 Salim Akhtar, Dr, Creative Personalities and Criticism, Lahore: Milestone Publications, 1989, p: 513 . Zirmunskij, Voprosy Teorie, Literary {Leningrad}1928, pp.8-9 Hamid Kashmiri, Dr, Tafheem wa Naqeed, Critical Essays, Lahore: Famous Book Depot, S.N, p:621 North Roop Fry, Objections to New Criticism, Lahore: Modern Publications House, 2020, p: 34 Roland Barthes, Objections to New Criticism, Preston University Press, p.71

The Relationship Between English Etymology and Semantic Change

This paper explores the intricate relationship between English etymology and semantic change, emphasizing how etymology provides a historical and cultural foundation for the evolution of word meanings. It discusses various forms of semantic change, including broadening, narrowing, elevation, pejoration, and shifts, and how these changes are influenced by social, cultural, and technological developments. The paper examines specific case studies such as irregular verbs, idioms, and specialized vocabulary in fields like medicine and law, to illustrate how etymology affects semantic evolution and vice versa. The analysis reveals that etymology and semantic change are deeply interconnected, reflecting the dynamic and adaptive nature of language. As globalization continues, these processes will further enrich the English language, offering valuable insights into the ongoing evolution of linguistic expression.

Game-Based Reading Instruction: Insights from Student Perceptions Using Digital Jigsaw Puzzles

Indonesian students' reading literacy is still categorized as low, according to the PISA 2022 results. This fact improves efforts to familiarize reading at any educational level, including the school teaching-learning process. The research aims to discover students' perceptions of both affective and micro-skills of reading assisted with digital jigsaw puzzles. The study was a descriptive qualitative design involving junior high school students in Indonesia. In-depth interviews and observations collected the data. The data is analyzed through interactive analysis or three flows of thought. The findings show widespread affective perceptions of the learning reading using digital jigsaw puzzles. In addition, digital jigsaw puzzles raise students' positive perceptions of understanding the following reading macro-skills: the gist, main idea, explicit information, reference words, and inference. However, few students struggle to find implicit information and word meaning due to limited vocabulary mastery and rush time. All in all, digital jigsaw puzzles can be a preferential instruction to enhance students' reading literacy.

Valence sound symbolism facilitates classification of vowels and emotional facial expressions.

Research on iconicity or sound symbolism chronicles associations between aspects of word meaning and word form. In valence sound symbolism, specifically, vowels were demonstrated to be associated with valence, so that the vowel /i/ (as in English sea) is judged to fit positively valenced stimuli, whereas the vowel /o/ (as in German Boot) is judged to fit negatively valenced stimuli. However, because previous findings were based on judgments or name invention tasks, they may reflect deliberate strategies. The present research aims to demonstrate the automaticity of valence sound symbolism in online language processing by means of a speeded response task. A total of 163 participants performed a speeded categorization task in which they were requested to classify one of two simultaneously presented stimuli, pseudowords containing the vowels /i/ or /o/ and pictures with positive or negative emotional facial expressions. Thus, stimulus pairings could be either congruent (/i/-words and positive expressions; /o/-words and negative expressions) or incongruent (/i/-words and negative expressions; /o/-words and positive expressions). We observed faster and more accurate responses for congruent over incongruent combinations (the simple effects were significant for positive but not for negative expressions). Thus, sound symbolic congruency (vs. incongruency) of an irrelevant stimulus facilitated responses, which accords with an automatic process contributing to valence sound symbolism and indicates that valence sound symbolism is deeply engrained in the human cognitive system. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Names of Russian Oven and Its Components in Arkhangelsk Dialects

This article is dedicated to the study of dialectal vocabulary belonging to the thematic group “Russian Oven,” which is included in the second volume of the “Thematic Dictionary of Arkhangelsk Dialects.” This dictionary documents lexicon related to wooden structures and their components. The primary aim of this research is to record the nominations within the thematic group “Russian Oven” and to determine the meanings of the selected words for inclusion in the dictionary. The material for this article and the dictionary comprises dialectal records housed in the archive of the Department of Russian Language and Speech Culture at the Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M. V. Lomonosov. The study employed a method of comprehensive sampling of words from the department’s archive, along with descriptive and lexicographic methods to clarify word meanings. The research reveals the diversity of dialectal vocabulary that names parts of the Russian oven; the same component may have various designations across different regions of Arkhangelsk Oblast, leading to the formation of synonyms, as well as phonetic, morphological, and derivational variations. A significant derivational cluster consists of words with the root -печ-, which are formed through suffixation (pechka, pechishcha, pechurok, pechurochek, etc.) and prefix-suffixation (opechek, opechye, podpechek, podpechye, pripechek, pripechye, protipechye, etc.).