LANGUAGE AND MEANING

Semantics is one branch in linguistics which studies about the meaning of language. As we know that language is the mean of communication, the main important of a language is it must have a meaning so it can be understood by other people. Below is a paper about the relationship between language and meaning.

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background

            In daily life, people need to communicate with others in order to deliver their messages. Thus, there is a language which is used as a means of communication. Language itself is a unified system of symbols that permits the sharing of meaning. A symbol stands for, or represents, something else. Words are symbols, and thus words represent things. A primary function of language is for humans to convey information to each other or request services of some kind in a variety of situations (e.g., relating events that happen to them, giving someone directions, asking for services such as in a shopping or other service encounter). Different contexts require different kinds of vocabulary and different expressions that are suitable to that particular context.

The process of communication involves using words to help create meanings and expectations. However, as important as words are in representing and describing objects and ideas, meaning is not stamped on them. Meanings are in people, not in words. Even a common word such as cat can bring to mind meanings ranging from a fluffy Angora to a sleek leopard. The goal in communicating with another person is to have the meanings overlap, so that we can each make sense out of the other’s messages and understand each other. Thus, to communicate, we translate the meaning we want to express into language, so that the other person will respond to it by forming a meaning similar to us. Although language is obviously intended to aid communication, far too often language serves as its obstacle.

Before semantics exist, linguists only study the structure of language such as phonology, morphology or grammar because it gives discrete thing to be analyzed. Meanings are in people which cannot be seen, so that is why linguist argued that study them is not worth. But, as the time goes by, they began to realize that meanings are such important part of language in which there will be no language when there is no meaning. Hence, in this paper, the writers try to explain about the relation between language and meaning to make a better understanding about language we used.

B. Statement of Problem

            The statements of problem of this paper are:

1.      What is the definition of language?

2.      What are the characteristics of language?

3.      What are the functions of language?

4.      What is the definition of meaning?

5.      What is the relation between language and meaning?

C. Objectives

            The objectives of this paper are based on the statements of the problem. The objectives of this paper will be:

1.      to know the definition of language

2.      to know the characteristics of language

3.      to know the functions of language

4.      to know the definition of meaning

5.      to know the relation between language and meaning

CHAPTER II

CONTENT

A. The Definition of Language

            Before we discuss about the definition of language, it is better to know the definition of semantics as a branch of linguistics. Semantics is study of how meaning is conveyed through signs and language. It focuses on the relation between signifiers, like words, phrases, signs, and symbols, and what they stand for, their denotation. Linguistic semantics is the study of meaning that is used for understanding human expression through language.

            The definition of language itself is varied on many ways since there are some experts who gave their idea. According to Wibowo (2001:3), language is a system of symbols that are meaningful and articulate sound (generated by said tool) that are arbitrary and conventional, which is used as a means of communication by a group of men to give birth to feelings and thoughts.
In the study of linguistics, language is defined as a system of spoken or written symbols of human beings as a means of communication in the form of sound.
Language is a system, which means the language formed by the various components of the irregular and fixed.

            Other opinion expressed by Shamsuddin (1986:2), he gave two language understanding. First, language is a tool used to shape the mind and feelings, desires and needs, a tool used to influence and be influenced. Second, language is a clear sign of a good personality or bad, a clear sign of the family and the nation, a clear sign from the mind of humanity.

            While Harimurti Kridalaksana (1993:21) argues that language is a symbol system sounds an arbitrary language that allows people to work together, interact, and identify. Soejono (1983:01) stated that language is a means of spiritual communication which is very important in life together.

            From those definitions, we can conclude that language is considered to be a system of communicating with other people using sound, symbol or words in expressing a meaning, ideas or thought.

B. The Characteristics of Language

            The characteristic of language are described as follow:

1. language is a system: it has different linguistic levels (phonological, related to phonemes, intonation and rhythm; lexical semantic, which have to do with lexis, that is, the words, and their meaning (semantics); syntactical, that is, the rules of grammar; discourse, written language; conversation, that is, the characteristics of spoken discourse (turn-taking, use of words, etc.); sociolinguistic (social factors, such as educational level, age, ethnic, sex, etc.);

2. language is dynamic: it changes constantly; words and meanings may even vary from one generation to the other (cf. "cool" and "hot");

3. dialects (language regional variation): varieties of the same language (such as English) are spoken in the same country (Southern English vs. Northern English); there are also differences between countries (USA, UK, New Zealand, Australia, etc.) and  different dialects as well (India, etc.);

4. sociolect (language social variations): language may vary depending on the speaker's social class;

5. idiolect (individual language characteristics): it is like the language DNA, that is, no two people speak exactly in the same way; there are variations such as voice quality, pitch and speech rhythm; there are also variations such as choice of words, use of grammar, etc.

C. The Functions of Language

            Now we’ll review the main purposes for which language is used:

1.      Descriptive: to describe factual information, e.g.,

I don’t have any change for the coffee machine.

2.      Evaluative: to make a value judgement, e.g.,

The theory of evolution provides the best account of the origin of biological species.

3.      Emotive: to express emotion, e.g.,

I shall die of unrequited love.

4.      Evocative: to evoke an emotional response in an audience, e.g.,

At Speedy you’re a Somebody.

5.      Persuasive: to persuade someone to accept something, as in an argument, or to act in a certain way, e.g.,

You shouldn’t take astrology seriously. There is no scientific basis for it.

6.      Interrogative: to elicit information, e.g.,

I won’t lend you any money unless you explain why you need it.

7.      Directive: to tell someone to do something, e.g.,

Take these pills twice a day.

8.      Performative: an utterance that constitutes an action, e.g.,

I now pronounce you husband and wife, when uttered in the right circumstances.

9.      Recreational: when language is used for fun or enjoyment, such as in the telling of a joke.

D. The Definition of Meaning

            In semantics, meaning is what the source or sender expresses, communicates, or conveys in their message through words, sentences, and symbols to the observer or receiver, and what the receiver infers from the current contexts.

According to philosopher Aristotle, Augustine, and Aquinas, "meaning is a relationship between two sorts of things: signs and the kinds of things they mean (intend, express or signify)". One term in the relationship of meaning necessarily causes something else to come to the mind. In other words: "a sign is defined as an entity that indicates another entity to some agent for some purpose". As Augustine states, a sign is “something that shows itself to the senses and something other than itself to the mind” (Signum est quod se ipsum sensui et praeter se aliquid animo ostendit) (Augustine De dial. 1975, 86).

1.      Three Theories of Meaning

a.    Reference Theory: The reference theory of meaning, which traces back to Aristotle, considers the meaning of a word to be that which the word refers to, i.e. the extension (or reference class) of the word. For instance the word cat refers to all the cats in the world, and the word book to all the books. Problems with this theory are:

1. that we can understand the meaning of the word book with only partial experience of all the books, which is puzzling if the meaning of book is all the books;

2. many words such as unless, the and if don’t have a reference class;

3. we can understand phrases like the oldest person in the world without knowing the referent.

b.    Idea Theory: The idea theory of meaning, which comes from John Locke, holds that the meaning of a word consists of the idea or mental image associated with that word. This theory seems to deal with the first and last problems for the reference theory, but this theory has problems as well:

1. there is no mental image associated with certain words, such as unless and if ;

2. on reflection, this theory fails to deal with problem 1. of the reference theory—when we hold an image of a dog in our minds it has certain characteristics, such as longhaired or black, but certain dogs do not have these characteristics. Since we clearly cannot have an idea of a dog that fits all cases, i.e. one that is black and not black, short-haired and long-haired, how can the idea be the meaning;

3. we can never understand what someone else means be a given word since we do not have access to their ideas. The clearest cases of this are so-called simple properties such as color, taste and smell. We cannot describe the meaning of the word red by using other words.

c.    Use Theory: The use theory, developed by Ludwig Wittgenstein and John Austin, shifts the semantic burden from words to sentences, i.e. it is only in the context of a sentence that a given word takes on a definite meaning. This explains how the same word may have many distinct meanings, such as:

She is a green lawyer. (i.e. inexperienced)

He is looking green. (i.e. nauseated)

We had a green winter last year. (i.e. no snow)

The meaning of sentences is determined by their use in some context. To determine what a given sentence means we examine how the speaker (or writer) is using it in a given context. For instance, the sentence Let me go has very different meaning when uttered by a person whose arm has been grabbed as compared to when it is uttered by a child who wants permission to see a movie.

2.      The Triangle of Meaning

The triangle of meaning is a model of communication that indicates the relationship among a thought, symbol, and referent and highlights the indirect relationship between the symbol and referent. It is developed by two communication theorists—C. K. Ogden and I. A. Richards— help explain how language works.

Thought

 

                                    Word                                                Thing

            From the diagram, we can see that the three points are thought, word, and thing. The broken line connecting word (a symbol) and thing (a referent, or stimulus) indicates that the word is not the thing and that there is no direct connection between the two. Thus, when we use words, we need to remind ourselves that the only relationships between the words we use and the things they represent are those that exist in people’s thoughts (including, of course, our own).

            This model is useful for us as communicators because when we are aware of the indirect relationship between symbols and referents, we are aware of how common misunderstandings occur, as the following example illustrates: Jasper and Abby have been thinking about getting a new dog. So, each of them is having a similar thought. They are each using the same symbol, the word dog, to communicate about their thought. Their referents, however, are different. Jasper is thinking about a small dog like a dachshund, and Abby is thinking about an Australian shepherd. Since the word dog doesn’t refer to one specific object in our reality, it is possible for them to have the same thought, and use the same symbol, but end up in an awkward moment when they get to the shelter and fall in love with their respective referents only to find out the other person didn’t have the same thing in mind.

E. The Relation between Language and Meaning

            Words and language are a quite amazing - and unique - human attribute and invention. For a start, words don't just create meaning, they also create feeling. Meaning can be straightforward and literal (some people call this a word's denotation; or it can be quite 'deep' and 'hidden', that is, we can say that a word literally means one thing but somehow suggests quite another (this is also called a word's connotation).

This is the process of interpretation and this always relies on context. It is the effect of context that helps us towards a particular interpretation of a word; context means the word's relationship to other things - for example, other words - around it: but also the social situation surrounding its use; even because we know what it is not (i.e. we understand the term 'coward' more because we hold the term 'hero' in such high regard rather than because of any meaning the word 'coward' itself contains).

Language has two key qualities that allow it create and shape meaning. It has content - that is, it contains meaning to communicate messages with each other; and it has form - that is, it makes shapes and sounds, or we can also call it as expression.

CONTENT                               CONTENT

                       EXPRESSION                           EXPRESSION

 Content and expression are related to each other in which the change of one aspect will result in the change of the other. So the different sound speaker produced gives the different meaning it tries to communicate. The diagram also shows that in language, content and expression have equal position. It means that we cannot learn language’s expression without considering its content, and we cannot learn the content of a language without referring to its expression. Expression here includes sound that we are produced when talking, thus, we can distinguish the content or meaning by hearing the expression. Because studying the meaning of a language is the same with studying the expression, which is an important part of language, it can be said that we are studying the language itself.

CHAPTER III

CLOSING

A. Conclusion

            Language is a system for the expression of meaning. Its primary function is for interaction and communication. Language is used by human in order to know and understand each other. This communication allows intercourse between multiple people, that is arbitrary (in words individually), generative (in word placement), and constantly evolving. The word communication means transferring meaning from the speaker to listeners, sender to receiver. Hence, meaning becomes the most important aspect in language. Language is also producing sounds which we can hear, but we have to notice that not every sound is considering as a language. Those sounds should be meaningful and understandable. Therefore, learning the meaning of a language is important because it will help in deepening our understanding about the messages that are communicated.

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