2. Componential analysis.

The task of “making sense” of chaotic /´kei tik / (хаотичний) and continuous sensory data requires processes of pattern recognition and most importantly the segmentation of the data into discrete, codable elements (as it is of analyzing chemical substances). The essential assumption of componential analysis is that the meaning of word is the sum of a number of elements of meaning which it possesses - semantic distinctive features - and that these elements are binary, i. e. marked as present or absent (+ or -).

We might take, as an example, a set of English words such as man, woman, boy, girl and show how a componential analysis can be used to specify the lexical entry for each.

The lexical entries would be:

+ human +human

MAN +adult WOMAN +adult

+male -male

+human +human

BOY -adult GIRL -adult

+male -male

A fuller entry for the item would include:

a) its pronunciation, b) syntactic information (noun, verb, etc.), c) morphological information, d) its semantic sense.

Filled out in this way, each entry would include both elements of De Saussure’s linguistic sign - acoustic image and concept - and, in addition, syntactic information which would be essential.

3. Meaning postulates.

A fundamental problem for the translator is that the relationships of similarity and difference between concepts (and the words that express them) do not necessary coincide in the languages involved in the translation. It is not difficult to express such relations for a particular language in term of simple set theory and the key notions of inclusion (hyponymy) and exclusion (antonymy) the first focusing on what concepts have in common; the second on what distinguishes them.

A) Hyponymy B) Synonymy C) Antonymy

Total inclusion- Overlap Exclusion

(one concept or the

meaning of one word

is included in other).

Hyponymy presents no problems for the translator (animal includes tiger).

Synonymy is particularly problematic, since it involves overlap rather than total inclusion or exclusion and assumes that, in principle, either item may be selected in any context.

Antonymy concerns exclusion rather than inclusion and exclusion involves a number of relationships which can be illustrated by considering the following words: true - false; gold - silver - copper; iron - tin; teacher - student, large-small.

Some sets consist of items which are in opposition: a) binary, b) multiple, c) hierachical, d) polar, e) relative, f) inverse.

Taxonomy: sets of items which display oppositions.