INTRODUCING SEMANTICS Nick Riemer (CHAPTER 2)

CHAPTER 2

Meaning and definition

CHAPTER PREVIEW

This chapter considers the role of definition in the description of meaning, through four main questions: 

◆What units need to receive definition? 

◆What forms should the definitions take? 

◆Can definitions be grounded in a set of semantic primitives? 

◆What is the place of definition in semantics generally? 

We begin by contrasting the types of definition that might appear in dictionaries from the types that interest a theoretical semantic analysis (2.1).Before any definition can begin, we have to confront an initial question: what are the meaning-bearing units of the language for which definitions are required? We explore this question by looking at meaning on, above and below the word level in 2.2, paying particular attention to certain problematic cases. The next section distinguishes definition of things (real definition) from definition of meanings (nominal definition), and cognitive from extensional definitions, and discusses some differences of opinion in linguistics as to what the proper objects of linguistic definition are (2.3.1). We then distinguish different possible definitional strategies, including 

Definition and Kinds of Translation

TRANSLATION: Definition and Kinds of Translation 

The Definition of Translation

       There are some definitions of translation. Nida states that translation consist of reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalence of the source language message, first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style[1]. Newmark in Rudi Hartono states that translation is rendering the meaning of a text into another language in the way that the author intended the text.[2]

INTRODUCING SEMANTICS Nick Riemer (CHAPTER 1)

CHAPTER 1

Meaning in the empirical study of language

CHAPTER PREVIEW

In this chapter we will introduce some important concepts for the study of semantics. In
1.1 we place the notion of linguistic meaning in the wider context of human communication
and behaviour. Section 1.2 then examines some of the vocabulary that English and
other languages use for ordinary talk about meaning in language and related phenomena.
A consideration of how this everyday non-technical vocabulary varies cross-linguistically
can show some of the important different aspects of linguistic meaning. In section 1.3 the
semiotic triangle of mind, world and language is discussed, followed in 1.4 by an introduction
to five fundamental concepts:
◆ lexemes;

TRANSLATION PROCEDURES

Translation  Procedures

• TL : Target Language
• SL : Source Language 
• TT: Target Text

Transference

Transference : it is the process of transferring an SL word to a TL text. It includes transliteration and is the same as what Harvey (2000:5) named " loan word transcription.“

Example:

Vitamin (Eng) : Vitamin (Indo)

 Serious (Eng) : Serius     (Indo)

    

TRANSLATION PROBLEMS

Translation Problems

• Common Errors in Translation

Syntax/Grammar Errors

 These errors are produced when the translator is faithful to the syntax of the source language. The following is an example of inappropriate translation from English to Spanish in which the incorrect translation is motivated by faithfulness to the syntax of English. The error in the following example stems from the fact that, in English, a noun in the subject position (“charges”) is not preceded by an article (“the”). In Spanish, nouns in the subject position have to be preceded by an article (“Los costos”).