The Problem of
Meaning
What problems do we face
when using language?
Theories of Meaning
How do we distinguish meaningful
words from meaningless words?
Definition theory
 Denotation theory
 Image theory

Reflection
Which theory makes the most
sense?
 What problems do you see
with each theory?

Meaning as know-how
Can we say we know the meaning of
a word when we know how it is used?
 Why is this not as simple as it
sounds?

Problematic meaning
Vagueness
 Ambiguity
 Secondary meaning
 Metaphor
 Irony

Vagueness



Fast, slow
About 100, around 3:00
How would you answer these questions?
1. John lives close to his school. How near
to school does he live?
2. Natasha’s mother earns a lot of money.
What is her annual income?
3. Mr. Smith is middle-aged. How old is he?
Ambiguity

Unclear meanings
Example:
They saw Mrs. Jones and the dog
sitting under the table.
Funny (but real) headlines





Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Ax
Autos killing 110 a Day; Let's Resolve to Do
Better
Deaf Mute Gets New Hearing in Killing
Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Experts
Say
Two Sisters Reunite after Eighteen Years at
Checkout Counter
Source: http://www.alphadictionary.com/fun/headlines.html
Is this ambiguous?
“Character at the top of Obama’s list
to replace Justice Souter”
Los Angeles Times, 5/1/09
Secondary meaning
Denotation
 Connotation
 Euphemisms

Denotation vs. connotation
 Denotation
= dictionary meaning
 Connotation = associations with a
word
What are the connotations?
1.
2.
3.
4.
slender, skinny, thin
stubborn, steadfast, firm
praise, flatter, commend
energetic, spirited, frenzied
Euphemisms
Roundabout way of saying something
to soften the harshness of the meaning
old age
golden years
sneak attack
firing workers
preemptive strike
restructuring
prison
correctional facility
taxes
revenue enhancement
Metaphors
“The world economy is teetering
teetering on
on aa
precipice, as
precipice,
as both
both advanced
advanced and
and
developing economies face plunging
industrial production, volatile equity
markets, and severely contracting trade.”
Source:
http://carnegieendowment.org/events/?fa=eventDetail&id
=1288&prog=zgp&proj=zted
Irony (verbal)
Saying the opposite of what you mean
“Great! Another
assignment!”
Activity

Read the news article given to you.

Can you find examples of vagueness,
ambiguity, secondary meaning,
metaphor, and irony?
Why should we care about
the meanings of words?
What if we disagree about meanings?
 Can words be manipulated?

“Eight great phrases or words to utilize if
you are a politician” (San Diego News Network)
“the voters have spoken”
 “in the best interest of the taxpayer”
 “reform”
 “tough decisions”
 “fiscal responsibility”
 “change” and “hope”
 “for the people”
 “on the back of taxpayers”

source: http://hoawrites.com/?p=405
From an ad for Bill Clinton, 1996
ANNOUNCER
Ten million new jobs. Family income up $1600.
President Clinton cut the deficit 60 percent. Signed
welfare reform—requiring work, time limits. Taxes cut
for 15 million families. Balancing the budget.
America’s moving forward with an economic plan that
works. Bob Dole: $900 billion in higher taxes.
Republicans call him a tax collector for the welfare
state. His risky tax scheme would raise taxes on 9
million families. Bob Dole. Wrong in the past. Wrong
for our future.
Assignment



Read and take notes on the explanations of
these three theories (pages 52 – 54)
Fold a sheet of blank paper into four sections
Use three of the sections to define a word of
your choice according to these theories. If you
can’t think of a word, here are some
suggestions:



triangle
Lynwood
fairness
Assignment
Refer to the positive governing words
and contrasting words
 Write a campaign ad describing your
qualifications for some office in
contrast to your opponents. Avoid
negative advertising while contrasting
your positive qualities with your
opponent’s less desirable qualities.
