Question

The four types of language ‘meanings’ are semantic meaning, perceptual meaning, syntactic meaning, and pragmatic meaning. Define each and talk about how/why these 4 meanings are different. Minimum of 250 words. Be sure to use information from the textbook and at least 2 other Virtual Library resources to support or expand on your writing.

Answer 1

There are certain ways words have different meanings in communicating a particular language.

Below are the 2 types of "Meanings"-

1. Semantic- The word Semantic means, "Literal" explanation of the words used in a context. Such sentences are to be perceived exactly the way it has been written. For eg- "You and I are sailing in the same boat". The sentence will have a semantic meaning in which the words used "Sailing" and "Boat" will be literally perceived as they are.
2. Pragmatic- The information that is infered by the listeners or readers based on their own experiences and understanding. Using the same example- "You and I are sailing in the same boat", the inferred meaning would be that two people are in the same situation which could be either steady or struggling.
3. Syntactic- This meaning comes from the word "Syntax" also known as rule/formula. Every sentence is formed on some rule/formula/syntax. For eg- The girl sang beautifully.
4. Perceptual- The meaning is based on an individual;s perception. for eg- "It seems difficult to me". The sentence means that the task is difficult for that particular person, however, it is not necessarily a difficult situation all together.