Connotation
Aconnotationis a commonly understoodculturaloremotionalassociation that any given word or phrase carries, in addition to its explicit or literalmeaning,which is itsdenotation.
A connotation is frequently described as either positive or negative, with regard to its pleasing or displeasing emotional connection.[1]For example, a stubborn person may be described as being eitherstrong-willedorpig-headed;although these have the same literal meaning (stubborn),strong-willedconnotes admiration for the level of someone's will (a positive connotation), whilepig-headedconnotes frustration in dealing with someone (a negative connotation).
Usage[edit]
"Connotation" branches into a mixture of different meanings. These could include the contrast of a word or phrase with its primary,literalmeaning (known as adenotation), with what that word or phrase specifically denotes. The connotation essentially relates to how anything may be associated with a word or phrase; for example, an implied value, judgement or feelings.[2]
Logic[edit]
Inlogicandsemantics,connotationis roughly synonymous withintension.Connotation is often contrasted withdenotation,which is more or less synonymous withextension.Alternatively, the connotation of the word may be thought of as the set of all its possible referents (as opposed to merely the actual ones). A word'sdenotationis the collection of things it refers to; its connotation is what it implies about the things it is used to refer to (a second level of meanings is termed connotative). The connotation of dog is (something like) four-legged canine carnivore. So, saying, "You are a dog" wouldconnotethat you were ugly or aggressive rather than literallydenotingyou as a canine.[3]
Related terms[edit]
It is often useful to avoid words with strong connotations (especiallypejorativeordisparagingones) when striving to achieve aneutral point of view.A desire for more positive connotations, or fewer negative ones, is one of the main reasons for usingeuphemisms.[4]
Semiotic closure, as defined byTerry Eagleton,concerns "a sealed world of ideological stability, which repels the disruptive, decentered forces of language in the name of an imaginary unity.Signsare ranked by a certain covert violence into rigidly hierarchical order.... The process of forging ‘representations’ always involves this arbitrary closing of the signifying chain, constricting the free play of the signifier to a spuriously determinate meaning which can then be received by the subject as natural and inevitable ".[5][relevant?]
Examples[edit]
 The denotation is arepresentationof a cartoon heart. The connotation is asymbolof love and affection. |
 The denotation of this example is a redrosewith a greenstem.The connotation is that it is asymbolof passion and love – this is what the rose represents. |
 The denotation is a brown cross. The connotation is asymbolof religion, according to the media connotation. However, to be more specific this is asymbolof Christianity. |
See also[edit]
- Context as Other Minds
- Double entendre
- Extension
- Extensional definition
- Intension
- Intensional definition
- Loaded language
- Metacommunicative competence
- Pun
- Semantic differential
- Semantic property
- Subtext
References[edit]
- ^Peter A. White (27 March 2017)."Feelings and JEA Sequences".Psychological Metaphysics.Routledge. p. 315.ISBN978-1315473550.
- ^"Connotation and Denotation"(PDF).California State University, Northridge.pp. 1–8.
- ^BK Sahni (2017).BPY-002: Logic: Classical and Symbolic Logic.
- ^ Not all theories oflinguistic meaninghonor the distinction between literal meaning and (this kind of) connotation. Seeliteral and figurative language.
- ^Terry Eagleton (1991).Ideology: An Introduction.Verso. p. 197.ISBN0-86091-538-7.