semantic mapping n
a classroom technique in which a visual representation of ideas in a text or
conceptual relationships within a text is used to assist with the reading of a
text. The semantic map may be teacher or student generated.
semantic memory n
see episodic memory
semantic networks n
the associations of related words that come to mind when a certain word
is thought of. Bilingual speakers may have different semantic networks
for words in their lexicons. For example bilingual speakers of English
and Spanish may associate “house” with “window” and “boy” with “girl”
but in Spanish may associate “casa” (house) with “madre” (mother) and
“muchacho” (boy) with “hombre” (man).
semantic property n
another term for semantic feature
semantics n semantic adj
the study of meaning. There are many different approaches to the way
in which meaning in language is studied. Philosophers, for instance, have
investigated the relation between linguistic expressions, such as the words
of a language, and persons, things and events in the world to which
these words refer (see reference, signs). Linguists have investigated,
for example, the way in which meaning in a language is structured (see
componential analysis, lexical field, semantic features) and have
distinguished between different types of meanings (see connotation,
denotation). There have also been studies of the semantic structure of
sentences (see propositions).
In recent years, linguists have generally agreed that meaning plays an
important part in grammatical analysis but there has been disagreement
on how it should be incorporated in a grammar (see base component,
generative semantics, interpretive semantics).
see also pragmatics
semantic valence tendencies n
words in a language occur in statistical patterns that display clear semantic
preferences. For example, in English, the verb providetypically precedes
positive words (e.g. provide work, reasons) whereas causetypically pre-
cedes negative items (e.g. cause trouble). Online reading tasks reveal that
native speakers are sensitive to such tendencies, as they read sentences
semantic mapping