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SoSe 21: Ü-Semantics and Pragmatics I

Martin Konvicka

Comments

What do we mean when we say that something, be it a morpheme, a word, a phrase or a construction, has a meaning? This will be the guiding question accompanying us during the semester.

Sometimes we will delve deeper into the topics already familiar to you from your introductory classes, but we will also explore completely new areas. We will analyse how speakers know what different linguistic units mean, i.e. semantics, but we will also consider the dependence of meaning on context, i.e. pragmatics.

Following the guiding question above, we will, among other things,…

…talk about how to conceptualise lexical meaning (feature-based vs. prototype-based models).
….discuss how lexical meaning turns into grammatical meaning over time (grammaticalisation).
…consider how language influences our thinking and vice versa (Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis).
…learn a bit about the history of semantics (Plato’s Cratylos).

The course consists of both asynchronous and synchronous components. You will be provided with preparatory videos and reading assignments (=synchronous), which will serve as the basis for our weekly live sessions (=asynchronous).

Credit requirements are regular attendance as well as lively participation in the weekly discussion.