Semantics I acknowledgements
Social and Affective Meaning
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| 2.4.3 Social and Affective Meaning If we are concerned with meaning, which is determined by its social circumstances we are dealing with social meaning. The social circumstances can easily be seen in social relationship between the speaker and hearer that is frequently in usage of words according to social status. For example, sentences They chucked the stone at the cops, and then did a bunk with the loot. - After casting a stone at the police, they absconded with the money. Of which the first could be said by two criminals, and the second by chief inspector in making his official report. The social status made it possible that words are used differently by speakers – the higher rank a speaker in social status the more difficult his utterance to be understood, especially by those of the people on the street. In reverse, the lower his rank in social status the more ordinary words he used in his utterance. Social meaning also includes what is called illocutionary force of an utterance, whether it is interpreted as a request, an assertion, an apology, etc. for example, I haven’t got a spoon ,has a meaning of assertion and the situation where it is spoken in a restaurant (addressed to the waiter. The assertion would be a request such as ; please bring me a spoon. Another example is : Have you seen my child It could be said by a woman in crowded market to the people in front of her. This sentence may mean as a request as : Please help me to find it, though she hasn’t yet recognize the people. Download 332.89 Kb. Share with your friends:
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