Semantic Theory Research Articles

Syntactic Descriptions of Conjunctions in Kémunasukuma Dialect of Kisukuma

The article is on syntactic descriptions of conjunctions in Kémunasukuma dialect of Kisukuma under Relevance Theory which is geared toward relevance communication as the interaction between cognition and context. The lack of any study on the topic under discussion motivated the current descriptions preferably with cognitive semantics theory. The study used an interpretivism paradigm veiled in a qualitative approach, based on the fact that the data comes from natural settings. The study used a descriptive study design to describe the syntactic and semantics of conjunctions from Sukuma population in Kisesa ward of Nyamagana district in Mwana region. Three methods of data collection were used, namely, focus group discussion, intuition knowledge, and critical documentary analysis. Ten Sukuma native speakers were selected purposively for the discussion, the selection based on the fact that were bilingual native speakers of the language. The study revealed two forms of conjunction: coordinating conjunctions as in na, ni, nu, nulu, ila, lelo or leluu, aliyo, lakini, and subordinating conjunctions as in, hanuma nu, hanumana, kunguno, kulwanguno, hamo and giki. Basing on the findings, it was concluded that such syntactic word category contributes to and strengthens the development of syntactic theories. The study urges other studies be carried out on other functors (determiners, pronouns) which with no doubt would contribute to the grammar of the language to both this generation and generations yet to come.

Exploring the Translation Strategy of the Prose “Transient Days” from the Perspective of Semantic and Communicative Translation Theory

This paper explores the translation strategies applied in the English translation of Zhu Ziqing’s (hereafter, Zhu) prose, “Transient Days” through the theoretical lens of Peter Newmark’s semantic and communicative translation theories. It provides an in-depth analysis of how these distinct approaches influence the translation process, focusing on lexical choices, sentence structures, and cultural adaptations. By examining the translation’s fidelity to the original text and its effectiveness in engaging the target audience, the study highlights the nuanced decisions that shape the translation of literary texts. The analysis reveals the balance between maintaining the stylistic and cultural essence of the source text and making it accessible and resonant for a Western audience. This exploration contributes to a broader understanding of translation practices and the dynamic interplay between semantic accuracy and communicative clarity.

Evaluation on Sukuma ethnoichthyology within cognitive semantic theory

This paper evaluates Sukuma ethnoichthyology within the cognitive semantics theory’s envisioning of Sukuma fish names. The motivation behind the investigation was geared by the lack of study on the topic and the peculiarities found in it. The Universal Grammar and cognitive semantics theories were used in data evaluation and explanations. This study employed a qualitative case study design, focusing on Lake Victoria and Juma Island. Data was collected through observation and unstructured interviews involving ten Sukuma native fisheries selected purposively. The study revealed that most of the Sukuma fish semantics structures are not encyclopaedic, embodied experiences as claimed in cognitive semantics, thus, they are bondless between signifier and signified. This study recommends further research aimed at coining theories that offer explanations for arbitrary names. The study also underscores the need for the younger generation to prioritise learning their local language names, including those of fish, as a means of preserving their linguistic heritage.

Developing a new aphasia therapy for a virtual world: the virtual enhanced semantic features analysis (VESFA) intervention

Purpose Stroke research Priority Setting Partnerships identified a need for interventions that address wellbeing and communication. This paper outlines the development of a communication and wellbeing intervention for delivery in the virtual world, EVA Park, for people with aphasia called Virtual Elaborated Semantic Feature Analysis. Materials and Methods The Medical Research Council framework for developing complex interventions was followed to combine evidence (literature review), underpinning theory (semantic processing theories, framework for situated language use and learning theories) and involvement with stakeholders (four people with aphasia and three speech and language therapists) in an intervention that addresses word finding, situated language and wellbeing. Results Evidence for the semantic word interventions and situated conversation interventions was synthesised. Theory underpinning the proposed intervention included Hebbian learning, the hub and spokes model of semantic processing, semantic spreading activation theory, the framework for situated language use and learning theories. Stakeholders with aphasia identified intervention content, an acceptable intervention regimen and gave feedback on a taster session. Speech therapists advised how the intervention could be implemented in clinical practice. Conclusion Virtual Elaborated Semantic Feature Analysis is a user-informed, theory-based complex aphasia intervention that is expected to improve word finding, word use in situated conversation and wellbeing.

On the Semantics and the Ontology of the Mass‐Count Distinction

ABSTRACTThe mass‐count distinction is a morpho‐syntactic distinction among nouns in English and many other languages. Tree, chair, person, group, and portion are count nouns, which come with the plural and accept numerals such as one and first; water, rice, furniture, silverware, and law enforcement are mass nouns, which lack the plural and do not accept numerals. The morpho‐syntactic distinction is generally taken to have semantic content or reflect a semantic mass‐count distinction. At the center of the semantic mass‐count distinction is, in some way or another, a notion of being one or being a single entity, the basis of countability. There is little unanimity, however, of how the notion of being a single entity is to be understood and thus what the semantic mass‐count distinction consists in. The question of the content of the mass‐count distinction and thus the notion of a single object relates to broader philosophical issues, such as the question whether predicates apply to things as such or things under a part‐structure related perspective, the question whether language involves an ontology at an intermediary level distinct from that of reality or even nonlinguistic cognition, and the question whether the semantics of mass nouns requires different logical tools than the ones used in standard semantic analyses (as has been argued for plurals by proponents of plural logics). In what follows, I will give a general presentation of the phenomenon of the mass‐count distinction as well as an outline of current approaches to the mass‐count distinction that ought to be of particular interest to philosophers. The focus will be on very general features and motivations of semantic theories of the mass‐count distinction which lend themselves to more philosophical discussions, rather than the details of the various formal developments. I will mainly discuss extension‐based and integrity‐based approaches, which have been most widely adopted, but which both face significant challenges. I will briefly mention a third approach, the reference‐based approach, whose aim is to overcome those challenges, by taking mass reference to be more primitive than singular and plural reference and not to be reducible to the latter.

Graded genericity

Abstract Any adequate semantics of generic sentences (e.g., “Philosophers evaluate arguments”) must accommodate both what we call the positive data and the negative data. The positive data consists of observations about what felicitous interpretations of generic sentences are available. Conversely, the negative data consists of observations about which interpretations of generic sentences are unavailable. Nguyen argues that only his pragmatic neo-Gricean account and Sterken’s indexical account can accommodate the positive data. Lee and Nguyen have advanced the debate by arguing that the negative data is a problem for both Nguyen’s and Sterken’s accounts; these two accounts seem to incorrectly predict that generics have felicitous interpretations that they, in fact, fail to have. In this paper, we advance this debate—and, more generally, the task of developing an adequate formal semantics of generics—by arguing that a neglected class of theories are compatible with both the positive data and the negative data. Specifically, we argue that treating the generic operator GEN as a relative gradable expression with a positive, upper- and lower- bounded scale helps accommodate the positive data and the negative data. While developing this view, we show how several previously developed semantics of generics may systematically accommodate both sets of data. One broad contribution of this paper is to show that, while they generate important desiderata, the positive and negative data cannot determine a unique semantics for generics. A further contribution of this paper is to highlight previously unnoted ways in which degree semantics may inform semantic theories of generic meaning.

Affordances of fractions and decimals for arithmetic among middle school students in the United States and China.

Affordances of fractions and decimals for arithmetic among middle school students in the United States and China.

Enhancing preservation of ancient buildings through color imagery analysis and activation: take yuelu academy as an example

ABSTRACT The pivotal role of color imagery analysis and activation has been insufficiently explored in the realm of historic heritage conservation. This study addresses this issue by introducing a comprehensive methodological framework that encompasses acquisition, analysis, activation, and application of color information based on the NCD (Nippon Color & Design) color system, an innovative color semantic quantification theory. Utilizing the venerable Yuelu Academy (from A.D. 976) as a case study, color imagery analysis methods across diverse spatial scales have been summarized. Subsequently, these results are applied to activate the surrounding environment color, as well as its cultural souvenirs. The methodologies outlined herein hold profound significance in addressing challenges concerning visual color continuity in the preservation of historic architectural landscapes, offering innovative perspectives.

Semantic dualism

AbstractPhilosophers have paid more attention to proper names (hereafter “names”) than to any other semantic kind. They have also more often focused on names in works of fact than in fiction, and almost always considered individual works, fact or fiction, in isolation from one another. Though serial fiction, which requires considering them not in isolation but in combination, is an extremely common use of language, it is understudied, presenting new challenges to semantic theories. This article proposes a novel account of the semantics of names, called “semantic dualism,” motivated by serial fiction with lessons also for serial fact. According to semantic dualism, the reference of names is in some contexts mediated and in others is not. Those contexts involve how names are used serially across different works. Given semantic dualism's novelty, this article is programmatic, aiming to establish that semantic dualism warrants further investigation.

Why Natural Language Processing is Not Reading: Two Philosophical Distinctions and their Educational Import

This paper explores two important ways in which close reading differs from natural language processing, the use of computer programming to decode, process, and replicate messages within a human language. It does so in order to highlight distinctive features of close reading that are not replicated by natural language processing. The first point of distinction concerns the nature of the meaning generated in each case. While natural language processing proceeds on the principle that a text’s meaning can be deciphered by applying the rules governing the language in which the text is written, close reading is premised on the idea that this meaning lies in the interplay that the text prompts within readers. While the semantic theory of meaning upon which natural language processing programs are based is often taken for granted today, I draw from phenomenological and hermeneutic theories, particularly Wolfgang Iser and Hans-Georg Gadamer, to explain why a different theory of meaning is necessary for understanding the meaning generated by close reading. Second, while natural language processing programs are considered successful when they generate what epistemologists call true beliefs about a text, I argue that close reading aims first and foremost at the development, not of true belief, but of understanding. To develop this distinction, I draw from recent scholarship on the epistemology of education, including work by Duncan Pritchard, to explain how understanding differs from true belief and why attainment of the latter is less educationally significant than the former.

URGENCY OF SEMANTICS AND SCIENCE APPROACH FOR QUR’ANIC RESEARCH AS ISLAMIZATION STUDY

In an era of globalization and modern scientific advancement, aligning scientific methodologies with Islamic principles is crucial to fostering an Islamic scientific paradigm. this research uses descriptive and analyses methods, while the type of research is library research. the purposes of this research are to reveal the position of semantics and Qur'anic science towards the Islamisation of science for its contribution to the civilisation of Islamic ideas. This study result by Semantic theory provides a framework for deeper comprehension of Qur'anic meanings, while the application of Qur'anic science bridges religious teachings with empirical inquiry. Together, these approaches demonstrate Islam's relevance and contributions to contemporary knowledge, particularly in fields such as genetic inheritance, which reflects the enduring harmony between Qur'anic insights and modern science.

The Relational Meaning of The Word Jin in The Qur’an (Semantic Qur’an Toshihiko Izutsu)

This research examines the relational meaning of the term Jin in the Qur’an using Toshihiko Izutsu's Quranic semantic theory. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed to analyze this concept from a linguistic perspective. Data were collected through a literature review of the Qur’an and commentaries by scholars such as Quraish Shihab and Ibn Kathir. The analysis highlights the varied meanings of Jin across different contexts in the Quran, identifying its relational connections with other words in the holy text. Findings reveal that Jin not only refers to unseen beings but also demonstrates aspects of concealment and secrecy in various forms. The implications of this research provide a deeper understanding of how the Qur’an employs words to convey complex contextual and relational meanings.

Conceptualizing the Space: How Natural and Artificial Cognitive Agents Use Topological Semantics Schemes (Based on Descriptions of Paintings from the Hermitage Collection)

The article is devoted to the description of the differences in the conceptualization of space observed in informants, large language models and computer vision models capable of generating a text describing what they “saw”. We use the concept of a cognitive agent and substantiate the distinction between “natural vs artificial cognitive agent”: the first is understood as a person, the second is an AI model capable of making decisions and performing tasks adequately in a given situation. The aim of the study is to compare the ways of understanding the location of an object in space in natural cognitive agents and artificial cognitive agents of two types: large language models and models created for Image to Text task. The main methods are the method of linguistic experiment and the method of semantic description based on the theory of topological semantics by L. Talmi. As an incentive material, six paintings from the collection of the State Hermitage Museum were used, divided into three groups: portraits, monofigure paintings on mythological or religious themes, and multifigure compositions. The participants of the experiments were: 63 informants (Mean age = 19.1, 48 females, 15 males), 5 LLMs, 6 Image to Text models based on computer vision technology and capable of generating descriptions of recognized images in English. Using the typology of configurational topological schemes and “figure – background” type schemes, we compared the ways of understanding space that the models rely on. As a result, we have formulated a number of conclusions, the most important of which is that natural cognitive agents differ from artificial cognitive agents in its ability to integrate the process of conceptualization of an object in space into other cognitive processes: entity recognition and categorization, attention mechanisms, awareness of cause-and-effect relationships. Artificial cognitive agents are only learning such integrativity and mutual coordination, for example, when generative models conceptualize those objects in which they are not sure, since these are products of hallucination, as objects with fuzzy boundaries, and Image to Text models combine into a single heterogeneous human object and the most striking original detail of its environment, because they “believe” that this is the most important thing for description tasks.

Figurative Language Implemented In Eminem’s Songs Lyrics

This paper aims to identify and analyze the figurative language implemented in Eminem’s songs “Mockingbird,” “When I’m Gone”, and “Hailie’s Song”. Using a descriptive qualitative research method, this study collected data through careful listening and reading of the song's lyrics. This process involved identification, categorization, and analysis of the lyrics, leading to conclusions about the theme song's explanation and interpretation. The theoretical framework is based on Hurford and Heasley’s (1983) semantic theory, with the meaning approach presented by Geoffrey N. Leech. The findings reveal how figurative language intricately depicts themes of fame, family issues, and father’s sacrifice, offering deeper insights into the artist’s emotional landscape.

Dichotomy or Continuum: Grice's Distinction between Natural and Nonnatural Meaning

Grice (1957), in his theory of meaning, introduced a distinction between two different types of meaning: nonnatural meaning and natural meaning. Grice’s distinction has been put to use in other areas of philosophy as well. Most famously, Dretske (1981, 1986) used Grice’s distinction in his naturalized epistemology. Scarantino and Piccinini (2010) offered a probabilistic alternative for semantic theories of information based on Grice's distinction. In both Dretske’s and Scarantino and Piccinini’s works, Grice’s distinction is assumed to form a dichotomy. This dichotomous nature, I claim, is at the root of some of the problems that afflict Dretske’s information-based naturalized epistemology and Scarantino and Piccinini’s probabilistic approach to information. In this paper, I suggest a revised version of Grice's distinction. In this revised version, instead of a dichotomy, natural and nonnatural meaning categories form a continuity, allowing overlapping and mixed intermediary categories between natural and nonnatural meaning. This continuous version, I further claim, provides more resources for avoiding some of the problems that afflict Dretske’s naturalized epistemology and Scarantino and Piccinini’s probabilistic approach to information.

Disagreement, retraction, and the importance of perspective

In the semantic debate about perspectival expressions—predicates of taste, aesthetic and moral terms, epistemic modals, etc.—intuitions about armchair scenarios (e.g., disagreement, retraction) have played a crucial role. More recently, various experimental studies have been conducted, both in relation to disagreement (e.g., Cova, 2012; Foushee and Srinivasan, 2017; Solt, 2018) and retraction (e.g., Knobe and Yalcin, 2014; Khoo, 2018; Beddor and Egan, 2018; Dinges and Zakkou, 2020; Kneer 2021; 2022; Almagro, Bordonaba Plou, and Villanueva, 2023; Marques, 2024), with the aim of establishing a more solid foundation for semantic theorizing. Both these types of data have been used to argue for or against certain views (e.g., contextualism, relativism). In this talk, I discern a common thread in the use of these data and argue for two claims: (i) which perspective is adopted by those judging the armchair scenarios put forward and by the participants in experimental studies crucially matters for the viability of the intended results; (ii) failure to properly attend to this puts recent experimental work at risk. Finally, I consider the case of cross-linguistic disagreement and retraction and assess their importance for the semantic debate about perspectival expressions, as well as for the claim that perspective matters in putting forward the data on which decisions about the right semantic view are made.

Analisis Semantik Leksikal al-Zamakhsharī Terhadap Frasa "Personal Branding" Nabi Mūsā (AS) dalam al-Qur`ān

This study is prompted by the presence of particular phrases in the Qurʾān that highlight Prophet Mūsā’s distinctive attributes, what can be termed his “personal branding.” These phrases provide a lens through which to compare the Qurʾānic portrayal of Prophet Mūsā’s character with commonly held perceptions. The research aims to uncover the deeper meanings behind these personal branding elements and to encourage reflection on their significance. Employing a qualitative methodology, the inquiry centers on verses narrating Prophet Mūsā’s story. Al-Zamakhsharī’s semantic theory guides the examination of the linguistic features of these phrases, while Peter Montoya’s “The Eight Laws of Personal Branding” helps classify the aspects that shape Prophet Mūsā’s personal brand. The findings indicate that Prophet Mūsā’s personal branding is established through four key dimensions: specialisation, leadership, personality, and differentiation. These facets emerge from eight Qurʾānic descriptors—al-Qawiy, al-Amīn, Mukhlaṣ, Rasūl, Nabiyyā, Ghaḍbān, al-Kalīm, and al-Aʿlā. The study concludes that the narrative verses of the Qurʾān can be analyzed not only for their moral guidance but also for the insights they offer into the personal branding of their central figures.

On Lexico-Semantic Analysis of Yorùbá Deviant Proverbs

Proverbs are literary philosophical expressions in all languages including Yoruba. They are deployed to smooth communication delivery and also to enrich the intended messages. There are substantial numbers of research on Yoruba proverbs and proverbials. However, the present study examined the lexico-semantic relations between the primeval and certain deviant-constructed Yoruba proverbs, with a view to identifying the elements that define the frame, describe the semantic relations between them and account for the experience associated with the elements that brought the differences into discourse setting. Twenty (20) Yoruba primeval proverbs and their corresponding deviant versions were randomly selected and translated from the source language (SL) to the operational language (OL). The two versions of the proverbs were compared. Areas of differences in the two sets of the proverbs were identified and analyzed using the lens of frame semantics theory. The study discovered that the lexicalized items signaling deviation-frame between the two versions of the proverbs are made possible through relations of synonym, ambiguity, homograph, homonyms, and metonyms while the semantic relations were activated in substitution, paraphrase, and thematic shift. The study attributed the speaker’s experience engendering lexico-semantic disparity in the proverbs to the cultural incompetence and contextual equivalent. It is however noted that, the lexico-semantic relations between the primeval proverbs and their variants do not in any way exhibit contrary effects on the meaning and the performative functions of the deviant proverbs. This discovery posits that, unconscious speakers of deviant proverbs take cognizance of pragmatic equivalence rather than textual equivalence so as to make the context of the usage relevant irrespective of lexico- semantic deviations.

The semantics of Afro-Brazilian spirits: Applying Davidson on prior and passing theories

Abstract Based on fieldwork with two related Afro-Brazilian religions, Umbanda and Quimbanda, this article explores the value of Donald Davidson’s semantic theory for making sense of ethnographic fieldwork. Specifically, we look at the role of scriptedness in communication, including religious ritual. We first clarify the role of social externalities in Davidson’s view of communicative interpretation, which is broader than his initial framework of radical interpretation. We then offer an account of what constitutes communicative and interpretational success, by drawing on Davidson’s account of prior and passing theory. Prior theories are interpreters’ initial hypothetical frameworks, ranging from general (e.g., the rational, intentional nature of self and other, and a shared perceivable world) to local (e.g., assumptions about cultural, social, and institutional contexts). Passing theories are tactical, on-the-fly modifications that we hypothesize in order to get mutual understanding back on track. We introduce the concept of ‘semantic reduction’ to operationalize the view that specific, local social externalities provide clues that help keep interpretation on track. In the case of religious ethnography, these include ritual, doctrinal, narrative, symbolic, material, temporal, and spatial frames that constrain the generation of passing theories. Examples from fieldwork illustrate the potential value of our appeal to Davidson’s ideas.

Verba Emosi Sedih dalam Bahasa Minangkabau: Kajian Metabahasa Semantik Alami

Emotions are an important aspect of human life, and emotion verbs play a key role in conveying emotional experiences. This study aims to analyze sad emotion verbs in Minangkabau using the Metabasic Natural Semantics (MSA) theory developed by Anna Wierzbicka and Cliff Goddard. Through qualitative analysis with a descriptive analytic method, this study identifies and describes sad emotion verbs from dictionaries, literary texts, and interviews with native speakers. The results show that there are several sad emotion verbs, such as “ibo,” “marasai,” and “manangih,” each with specific emotional nuances. This research highlights how the Minangkabau language provides rich terms for expressing sadness and reflects emotional experiences in specific cultural contexts. Using MSA theory, this study makes a theoretical contribution to semantic and linguistic studies and enriches the understanding of the relationship between language and emotion in Minangkabau culture.