Denotation

Inlinguisticsandphilosophy,^[1]thedenotationof a word or expression is its strictly literal meaning. For instance, theEnglishword "warm" denotes thepropertyof having high temperature. Denotation is contrasted with other aspects of meaning includingconnotation.For instance, the word "warm" may evoke calmness, coziness, or kindness (as in the warmth of someone's personality) but theseassociationsare not part of the word's denotation. Similarly, an expression's denotation is separate frompragmaticinferences it may trigger. For instance, describing something as "warm" oftenimplicatesthat it is not hot, but this is once again not part of the word's denotation.

Denotation plays a major role in several fields. Withinsemanticsandphilosophy of language,denotation is studied as an important aspect ofmeaning.Inmathematicsandcomputer science,assignments of denotations are assigned to expressions are a crucial step in defining interpretedformal languages.The main task offormal semanticsis to reverse engineer the computational system which assigns denotations to expressions ofnatural languages.

In linguistic semantics

Innatural language semantics,denotations are conceived of as the outputs of the semantic component of the grammar. For example, the denotation of the word "blue" is the property of being blue and the denotation of the word "Barack Obama" is the person who goes by that name. Phrases also have denotations which are computed according to theprinciple of compositionality.For instance, theverb phrase"passed the class" denotes the property of having passed the class. Depending on one's particular theory of semantics, denotations may be identified either with terms'extensions,intensions,or other structures such ascontext change potentials.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]

When uttered indiscourse,expressions may convey other associations which are not computed by the grammar and thus are not part of its denotation. For instance, depending on the context, saying "I ran five miles" may convey that you ran exactly five miles and not more. This content is not part of the sentence's denotation but ratherpragmaticinferences arrived at by applyingsocial cognitionto its denotation.^[2]

Denotation, meaning, and reference

Linguistic discussion of the differences between denotation,meaning,andreferenceis rooted in the work ofFerdinand de Saussure,specifically in his theory ofsemioticswritten in the bookCourse in General Linguistics.^[6]PhilosophersGottlob FregeandBertrand Russellhave also made influential contributions to this subject.^[7]

Denotation and reference

Although they have similar meanings, denotation should not be confused withreference.^[8]A reference is a specific person, place, or thing that a speaker identifies when using a word.^[6]Vocabulary fromJohn Searle'sspeech act theorycan be used to define this relationship.^[9]According to this theory, the speaker's action of identifying a person, place, or thing is called referring. The specific person, place, or thing identified by the speaker is called the referent. Reference itself captures the relationship between the referent and the word or phrase used by the speaker. Forreferring expressions,the denotation of the phrase is most likely the phrase's referent. Forcontent words,the denotation of the word can refer to any object, real or imagined, to which the word could be applied.^[2]

Denotation and meaning

In"On Sense and Reference",philosopherGottlob Fregebegan the conversation about distinctions between meaning and denotation when he evaluated words like the German words "Morgenstern" and "Abendstern".^[6]Author Thomas Herbst uses the words "kid" and "child" to illustrate the same concept.^[6]According to Herbst, these two words have the same denotation, as they have the same member set; however, "kid" may be used in an informal speech situation whereas "child" may be used in a more formal speech situation.

In other fields

Incomputer science,denotational semanticsis contrasted withoperational semantics.
Inmedia studiesterminology, denotation is an example of the first level of analysis: what the audience can visually see on a page. Denotation often refers to something literal, and avoids being ametaphor.Here it is usually coupled withconnotationwhich is the second level of analysis, being what the denotation represents.

References

^On the history of the concept see Umberto Eco, "Signification and Denotation from Boethius to Ockham",Franciscan Studies,Volume 44, 1984, pp. 1-29.
^^a ^b ^cKroeger, Paul (2019).Analyzing Meaning.Language Science Press. pp. 21–22, 172–173.ISBN 978-3-96110-136-8.
^Coppock, Elizabeth; Champollion, Lucas (2019).Invitation to Formal Semantics(PDF).Manuscript. p. 43.
^Heim, Irene;Kratzer, Angelika(1998).Semantics in Generative Grammar.Oxford: Wiley Blackwell. p. 14.
^Nowen, Rick; Brasoveanu, Adrian; van Eijck, Jan; Visser, Albert (2016)."Dynamic Semantics".In Zalta, Edward (ed.).The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.Retrieved2020-08-11.
^^a ^b ^c ^dHerbst, Thomas (2010).English linguistics: a coursebook for students of English.Walter de Gruyter & Co. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.ISBN 978-3-11-021548-9.OCLC 710790467.
^Makin, Gideon (2000).The metaphysicians of meaning: Russell and Frege on sense and denotation.London: Routledge.ISBN 0-203-24267-X.OCLC 52111256.
^Trask, R. L. (2007).Language and Linguistics: The Key Concepts.Peter Stockwell (Second ed.). Abingdon [England]: Routledge. pp. 51, 66–67.ISBN 978-0-415-41358-9.OCLC 75087994.
^Searle, John R. (1969).Speech acts: an essay in the philosophy of language.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.ISBN 978-1-139-17343-8.OCLC 818781122.

External links

Semiotics for Beginners
VirtuaLit Elements of Poetry(archived)

[1] On the history of the concept see Umberto Eco, "Signification and Denotation from Boethius to Ockham",Franciscan Studies,Volume 44, 1984, pp. 1-29.

[:0-2] Kroeger, Paul (2019).Analyzing Meaning.Language Science Press. pp. 21–22, 172–173.ISBN 978-3-96110-136-8.

[3] Coppock, Elizabeth; Champollion, Lucas (2019).Invitation to Formal Semantics(PDF).Manuscript. p. 43.

[4] Heim, Irene;Kratzer, Angelika(1998).Semantics in Generative Grammar.Oxford: Wiley Blackwell. p. 14.

[dynsemsep-5] Nowen, Rick; Brasoveanu, Adrian; van Eijck, Jan; Visser, Albert (2016)."Dynamic Semantics".In Zalta, Edward (ed.).The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.Retrieved2020-08-11.

[:1-6] Herbst, Thomas (2010).English linguistics: a coursebook for students of English.Walter de Gruyter & Co. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.ISBN 978-3-11-021548-9.OCLC 710790467.

[7] Makin, Gideon (2000).The metaphysicians of meaning: Russell and Frege on sense and denotation.London: Routledge.ISBN 0-203-24267-X.OCLC 52111256.

[:02-8] Trask, R. L. (2007).Language and Linguistics: The Key Concepts.Peter Stockwell (Second ed.). Abingdon [England]: Routledge. pp. 51, 66–67.ISBN 978-0-415-41358-9.OCLC 75087994.

[9] Searle, John R. (1969).Speech acts: an essay in the philosophy of language.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.ISBN 978-1-139-17343-8.OCLC 818781122.

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