What is language for, if not for meaning? Semantics is the field of linguistics that studies this very core of language: meaning. In this seminar, we will first consolidate and elaborate what you have already learned about the key concepts and theories of semantics in order to then delve into more detailed analyses of meanings in language. We will be looking at the meaning of words, at the relations between words and at the meaning of words in combination.
Special emphasis will be placed on the semantic analysis of figurative language, which is ubiquitous and frequently used as a tool of conceptualisation. Secondly, the relationship between language and culture will be a focus. Do all languages – or do at least languages as closely related as English and German – express the same meanings or do even different varieties of a single language vary in the way they express meaning? Encountering a different language incorporates getting to know a new tool of conceptualisation and thus a new way of thinking, which is why exploring the cultural-specificity of meaning in the target language is beneficial to explaining linguistic phenomena and their use.
The seminar introduces you to the theories, findings and tools of semantics, which form a solid foundation for everybody professionally working with language. |
