COMD 4380 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Vocabulary Development, Phoneme, Zork
Document Summary
Semantics is the study of language meaning, which can be expressed verbally, vocally, and gesturally. The more mature the speaker, the greater the range of words and word types the speaker should be able to exhibit. Children with semantic language disorders usually demonstrate limited vocabularies and difficulty integrating semantic information with other aspects of language. A word is an arbitrary sign that signifies a reference or concept. Word equals kitty ; referent equals the animal; concept equals the meaning of kitty, the mental image brought to mind when the word kitty is heard or read. There are two types of reference, iconic and symbolic. Iconic reference: a more direct connection of sign and reference. Very few words fall into this category, all onomatopoeic words are iconic. Symbolic reference: arbitrary connection of the sign and reference. Almost all words fall into this category. Concepts involvement representations that are social constructs not mental pictures.
