A theory of semantics focusing on relationships between meaning and sound patterns in language evolution is proposed. Using cognate sets from traditional comparative studies of closely-related languages in well-defined language families, the theory addresses the use and shifting of language components. The theory begins with the ego attempting to…

This collection contains five papers on discourse in a variety of languages. "A Stratificational Perspective on the Discourse Structure of Limos Kalinga" by Hartmut Wiens demonstrates the value of the stratificational model in looking at language in relatively small portions at various levels while also showing how its structural aspects…

This paper examines some of the problems associated with interpreting metonymy, a figure of speech in which an attribute or commonly associated feature is used to name or designate something. After defining metonymy and outlining the principles of metonymy, the paper explains the differences between metonymy, synecdoche, and metaphor. It is…

Two studies investigated how flexible children are when asked to switch from one semantic interpretation to another. Three distinctly different standards for the adjectives "big" and "little" were examined: normative, perceptual, and functional. The first study looked at whether some standards are harder than others to represent and whether…

Two studies addressed the relative strengths of object kind bias and syntactic knowledge in 2-year-olds' inductions of word meaning. The study looked at children's interpretations of novel proper names for familiar and unfamiliar objects. In each study, 10 children were assigned to each of 2 conditions (familiar and unfamiliar) and shown 2 cats…

The nature of semantic roles and grammatical relations are explored from the perspective of Role and Reference Grammar (RRG). It is proposed that unraveling the relational aspects of grammar involves the recognition that semantic roles fall into two types, thematic relations and macroroles, and that grammatical relations are not universal and are…

This study sought to identify the variables which influence the meanings of labels used by science education researchers doing qualitative research. In a qualitative emergent design study, participant observation, informal interviews, and document review were used to gather and analyze data in recurring cycles. Presentations and discussions among…

A simplified pattern of noun formation is outlined that can assist the German teacher in helping students understand constituent relationships in long or obscure German nouns, providing an overview of significant patterns that covers a relatively complete noun system. First, significant patterns in nouns outside the process of formation, and…

A system of quantitative techniques for describing the English language from a number of perspectives, intended for the language analyst, is presented. The grammar combines an emerging knowledge of semantics with existing detailed knowledge of syntax. The primary unit of analysis is the predication, a group of related concepts expressed as a…

Results of a verbal sound and meaning discrimination test to check the hypothesis of Alajouanine et al.--that two types of paraphasics can be distinguished, phonemic and semantic--are discussed. The former are impaired in tests of auditory language discrimination, the latter show regression of the semantic values apparent in their linguistic…

A thirty-year case study of a Russian soldier suffering from a severe syndrome of parietal aphasia is discussed. Luria's book, "The Man with a Shattered World," is based on the soldier's 3,000-page diary, written after a period of training wherein he was told to write as fast as possible. (SCC)

An initial description of the links between cognitive input, discourse rules, and the rules of sentence grammar is made, based on a technique developed for observing the translation of cognitive input into language in a spontaneous, practical speech event: descriptions of the lay-outs of apartments. (Author/RM)

Gives sample sentences showing the connection between grammatical and lexical semantic relationships, which present a complicated set of directions and rules for the learner. Methods are suggested for differentiating by category the meanings of ambiguous words. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

This article discusses the equivalency in meaning of synonyms in one language, and the problems encountered in attempting to translate synonyms. (Text is in French.) (CLK)

Deals with the relationship existing between the signifier and the signified components of signs, and with problems in the definition of signs. It is also concerned with recognizing the relationship of semiotics to developmental psychology and ethology. (Available from Semiotica, Co-Libri, P.O. Box 482, The Hague 2076, The Netherlands)