Undergraduate Course: Lexical Semantics (LASC10011)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Language Sciences |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This course looks at a range of issues that have to do with the meanings of words. We explore the nature of sense relations and whether they can furnish us with as theory of word meaning; the differences in meanings expressed by content words and grammatical words; the count/mass distinction in common nouns; the nature of events described by words; argument alternations; decompositional approaches to lexical meaning; anomaly; homonymy, polysemy and vagueness; and the influence of content on the interpretation of words. The course also provides a basic introduction to predicate logic and natural deduction. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 3 Linguistics/Language Sciences courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses. |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
To give students the knowledge and analytical skills in lexical semantic theory which will enable them to analyse the structures of English that present challenges to the analysis of meaning. The course is intended to provide students with the knowledge and skills in lexical semantics appropriate to an Honours graduate in Linguistics or English language.
Students should be able to progress to more specialised study in semantics from this course; in addition, they should be equipped to explore semantic interfaces with syntax and morphology in independent work. The course is therefore also designed to motivate and equip students to undertake more advanced work in lexcial semantics with respect to the structures of English. |
Assessment Information
| The current components of assessment are a 1500 word project plus a 3000 word essay. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Teaching Contact Time: 9 weeks out of 11 at 3 hours/week = 27 hours |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Ronnie Cann
Tel: (0131 6)51 1839
Email: |
Course secretary | Ms Francesca Anderson
Tel: (0131 6)50 3961
Email: |
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