Semantics
Code
711131053
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Linguística
Credits
6
Teacher in charge
Clara Nunes Correia
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
a) To identify the main study object and the main theoretical proposals in Semantics
b) To recognise the mechanisms that supports the semantic representation of natural languages
c) To identify the main questions about meaning and reference
d) To analyse linguistic forms and grammatical constructions important to semantic analysis
Prerequisites
None
Subject matter
Module 1: What is semantics? The perspectives of onomasiology and semasiology in semantic analysis;
Module 2: The contribution of philosophy of language to the semantic analysis: meaning, sense, reference and denotation;
Module 3: On referring : Referential and non-referential descriptions; Anaphora and co-reference; anaphora and deixis;
Module 4: Semantics and grammar: a) tense and aspect; the compositionality of aspect: predicates, arguments and adverbials; b) mood and modality in natural languages;
Module 5: Perspectives and models of semantic analysis: interfaces and related domains.
Bibliography
CAMPOS, Mª Henriqueta Costa & Mª Francisca Xavier. Sintaxe e Semântica do Português. Lisboa: Universidade Aberta, 1991.
BINNICK, Robert I. (ed), The Oxford Handbook of Tense and Aspect. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012.
MARTINICH, A.l .P. (ed.). The Philosophy of Language. New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990.
LYONS, John. Semantics. Cambridge: CUP, 1987.
ULLMANN, Stephen, Semântica. Lisboa: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, [1964] 1977.
Teaching method
Theoretical classes: Lectures and presentation of the main topics of the subject matter of the course; Practical classes: analysis and discussion of theoretical texts and students papers.
Evaluation method
1 final test (40%); 3 quizzes exams, according to programmatic topics (15%, each); independent work (assessment on individual and group papers; reading reports) (15%).