LIN HW 4 Semantics - This is a homework assignment for LIN 1. PDF

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This is a homework assignment for LIN 1....

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2. Tautologies and Contradictions The following sentences are either tautologies (analytic), contradictions, or situationally true or false. Write T by the tautologies, C by the contradictions, and S by the other sentences. a. Queens are monarchs. T b. Kings are female. C c. Kings are poor. S d. Queens are ugly. S e. Queens are mothers. S f. Kings are mothers. C g. Dogs are four-legged. T h. Cats are felines. T i. Cats are stupid. S j. Dogs are carnivores. C k. George Washington is George Washington. S l. George Washington is the first president. S m. George Washington is male. T n. Uncles are male. T o. My aunt is a man. C p. Witches are wicked. S q. My brother is a witch. S r. My sister is an only child. C s. The evening star isn't the evening star. C t. The evening star isn't Venus. S

u. Babies are adults. C v. Babies can lift one ton. F w. Puppies are human. F x. My bachelor friends are all married. C y. My bachelor friends are all lonely. S z. Colorless ideas are green. C

3. Alice's Adventures in

Wonderland Here is a passage from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: "How is bread made?" "I know that" " Alice cried eagerly. "You take some flour—" "Where do you pick the flower?" the White Queen asked. "In a garden, or in the hedges?" "Well, it isn't picked  at all," Alice explained; "it's ground---" "How many acres of ground?" said the White Queen. On what kinds of pairs of words is the humor of this passage based? Identify each pair. The first pair’s (flour and flower) humor is based on the concept of homonyms, which is a word that has several different meanings but is pronounced the same. For example, “flour” and “flower” are pronounced the same, but they are both radically different (one cooks nice and the other smells nice, respectively). However, the second pair’s (ground and ground) humor is based on ambiguity. Similar to the previous pair, the word ground has multiple meanings, and like the previous pair, is also a homonym, but this time, the word is spelled the same and the pronunciation is the same, unlike the first pair.

5.1. Ambiguity The following sentences may be lexically or structurally ambiguous, or both. Provide paraphrases showing that you comprehend all the meanings. Example: I saw him walking by the bank. Meaning 1: I saw him and he was walking by the bank of the river. Meaning 2: I saw him and he was walking by the bank of the financial institution. Meaning 3: I was walking by the bank of the river when I saw him. Meaning 4: I was walking by the financial institution when I saw him. a. We laughed at the colorful ball. Meaning 1: We laughed at the colorful ball that came flying from the stadium. Meaning 2: We laughed at the colorful ball because the dancers were all dressed as animals. Meaning 3: We laughed at the colorful ball of light leading us into the forest and making us laugh. b. He was knocked over by the punch. Meaning 1: He was knocked over by the punch of the handsome man in a tuxedo. Meaning 2: He was knocked over by the punch because it didn’t want to be drank. Meaning 3: He was knocked over by the punch of strong winds at the top of a mountain.

c. The police were urged to stop drinking by the fifth. Meaning 1: The police were urged to stop drinking by the fifth of November, at the fifth of twelve in the afternoon, by the fifth minute, by the fifth second. Meaning 2: The police were urged to stop drinking by the fifth office of the station because officer Bugsby doesn’t like the smoke clouding his office and mind. Meaning 3: The police were urged to stop drinking by the fifth policy, which prohibited constant smoking if it becomes a problem. d. I said I would file it on Thursday.

Meaning 1: I said I would file it on Thursday when I get home and check my folders. Meaning 2: I said I would file it on Thursday, so I filed “it” into a marching position in my dreams, and made sure that the furtive “it” would never be revealed. Meaning 3: I said I would file it on Thursday, so I woke up on Thursday and filed “it” on my to-do list. e. I cannot recommend visiting professors too highly. Meaning 1: I cannot recommend visiting professors too highly, the rough terrain and high altitudes will be a distraction, and the wind might push you off the mountain! Meaning 2: I cannot recommend visiting professors too highly, they might kick you out for being wiser than them. Meaning 3: I cannot recommend visiting professors too highly, the cannabis might cloud your thoughts and the professors’ time and sanity. Meaning 4: I cannot recommend visiting professors too highly, the internet is more efficient. f. The license fee for pets owned by senior citizens who have not been altered is $1.50. (Actual notice) Meaning 1: The license fee for pets owned by senior citizens is $1.50, if the pets have not been altered by significant surgeries and medicine. Meaning 2: The license fee for pets is $1.50, and the pets must be owned by senior citizens who have not been altered by disabilities like dementia or dementia. Meaning 3: The license fee for pets is $1.50, if the pets have not been altered from manic scientific experiences and creepy fetishes. Meaning 4: The license fee for pets is $1.50, and the pets must be owned by senior citizens who have not been altered by trying to implement machinery into their bodies or other zany experiments of the sort. g. What looks better on a handsome man than a tux? Nothing! (Attributed to Mae West) Meaning 1: What looks better on a handsome man than a tux? Nothing! He’s perfect with wearing that tux!

Meaning 2: What looks better on a handsome man than a tux? Nothing! He’d be much better naked! How else would he look better? Meaning 3: What looks better on a handsome man than a tux? Nothing! The nothingness of outer space is much more exquisite than this supposed “handsome” man! Meaning 4: What looks better on a handsome man than a tux? Nothing! Nothing! That’s what his personality is, people! How else will he amuse you into electing him as president! Don’t stare at his ostentatious tux, but stare at his nothingness, his personality, his ideas! I thought we were enlightened, not blind!

h. Wanted: Man to take care of cow that does not smoke or drink. (Actual notice) Meaning 1: Wanted: Man to take care of a cow that does not smoke or drink for the sake of fast food chains everywhere. Meaning 2: Wanted: Man that does not smoke or drink that can take care of a cow. Meaning 3: Wanted: Man to take care of a cow that does not smoke or drink. The cow needs to be motivated to drink water because it is going to die from dehydration, and it needs to smoke for the sake of calming the cow in intense situations. Meaning 4: Wanted: Man that does not smoke or drink that can take care of a cow for a few days without leaving its sight. We’re hoping a man has the endurance to not drink anything for a few days, so that when we come pick up the cow, we’ll also pick up your b--broken, old car and give it a tune up! i. For Sale: Several old dresses from grandmother in beautiful condition. (Actual notice) Meaning 1: For sale: Several old dresses in beautiful condition from grandmother. Meaning 2: For sale: Several old dresses from grandmother in beautiful condition! Her age is 78, but her dexterity and wit is 25! Hoo-mama! Meaning 3: For sale: Several old dresses from grandmother in beautiful condition, she’s never been unwrapped! She also has a dozen styles to choose from! She’s selling like hotcakes, so come buy a grandmother while you still can! She’s in beautiful condition! Beautiful! Meaning 4: For sale: Several old dresses from the local dollar store from grandmother in beautiful condition. Don’t try searching for these old dresses because they’re everywhere.

j. Time flies like an arrow. (Hint: There are at least four paraphrases, but some of them require imagination.) Meaning 1: Time flies like an arrow and ended up sticking on the target board. Meaning 2: Time flies like an arrow and quickly passes without our notice until we start reminiscing. Meaning 3: Time flies like an arrow and quickly beat the rest of the marathon runners in the Boston Marathon. Meaning 4: Time flies like an arrow escaped the demolishing building in the nick of time. Meaning 5: Time flies like an arrow. I think Time will make a perfect airplane pilot! Meaning 6: Times flies like an arrow, and puts itself on display in order to help lost boats find their way home.

5.2. Ambiguous Headlines Do the same thing for the following newspaper headlines: a. POLICE BEGIN CAMPAIGN TO RUN DOWN JAYWALKERS Meaning 1: POLICE BEGIN CAMPAIGN TO RUN DOWN JAYWALKERS AND HAVE STARTED PREPARING THEIR VEHICLES FOR THE CAMPAIGN Meaning 2: POLICE BEGIN CAMPAIGN TO CHASE JAYWALKERS.

Meaning 3: POLICE BEGIN CAMPAIGN IN ORDER TO WIN POLICE COMPETITION. THE POLICE HAVE STARTED TO BECOME MORE ATTENTIVE TO JAYWALKERS. Meaning 4: POLICE BEGIN CAMPAIGN TO RUN DOWN JAYWALKERS BY THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING. b. DRUNK GETS NINE MONTHS IN VIOLIN CASE Meaning 1: DRUNK GETS NINE MONTHS IN VIOLIN CASE. THE DRUNK WILL BE OPERATED ON IN ORDER TO FIT INSIDE THE CASE. Meaning 2: DRUNK GETS NINE MONTHS IN VIOLIN CASE. THE DRUNK WAS TOLD THE PACKAGE WILL COME IN TWO DAYS.

Meaning 3: NINE MONTHS GETS DRUNK IN VIOLIN CASE. THE DETAILS AREN’T CERTAIN, YET, BUT THE SUSPECT WAS DEFINITELY SOMEWHAT UNCONSCIOUS FOR HIS ACTIONS. Meaning 4: DRUNK GETS NINE MONTHS IN VIOLIN CASE. THE JUDGE MADE SURE TO MAXIMIZE HIS PUNISHMENT, AND THE DRUNK LOOKED REGRETFUL FOR HIS SOULLESS ACTIONS. Meaning 5: IN THE CITY OF VIOLIN CASE, A DRUNK GETS NINE MONTHS FOR INDECENCY AND DISTURBING THE PEACE. c. FARMER BILL DIES IN HOUSE Meaning 1: FARMER BILL DIES IN HOUSE OF DYES. Meaning 2: FARMER BILL DIES OF LAUGHTER IN HOUSE OF FUN. Meaning 3: FARMER BILL DIES IN HOUSE BY THE LAKE BECAUSE HE CAN’T STAND THE REAL WORLD ANYMORE. Meaning 4: FARMER BILL DIES IN HOUSE OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS. d. STUD TIRES OUT Meaning 1: STUD TIRES OUT ONTO THE STREET AFTER ESCAPING THE PRISON AT LIGHTNING SPEED, TRAMPLING THE ANTS, AND PUSHING OVER THE SCOOTERS. Meaning 2: STUD TIRES OUT AFTER A LONG DAY ON THE TRACK, BEING ON THE FARM, AND EATING CARROTS AND HAY. Meaning 3: STUD TIRES OUT AFTER TRYING TO ATTACK THE CASHIER AT A LOCAL MCDONALD’S. Meaning 4: STUD TIRES OUT AFTER HEARING THE SAME STATEMENT BEING SAID IN THE NEWS. Meaning 5: STUD TIRES OUT FOR GOOD AFTER CRUEL FARMER BEATS IT WITH A HAMMER. e. SQUAD HELPS DOG BITE VICTIM Meaning 1: SQUAD HELPS DOG BITE VICTIM, USING THE DOG AS BAIT FOR THE VICTIM.

Meaning 2: SQUAD HELPS DOG BITE VICTIM. THEY HELD THE VICTIM DOWN, AND THEN THE DOG BIT DOWN ON THE VICTIM’S LEG. Meaning 3: SQUAD HELPS DOG BITE VICTIM. THE DOG HELD ON TO THE VICTIM’S PANTS IN AN EFFORT TO GIVE THE SQUAD ENOUGH TIME TO CATCH THE VICTIM. f. LACK OF BRAINS HINDERS RESEARCH Meaning 1: LACK OF BRAINS HINDERS RESEARCH BECAUSE THE LACK OF BRAINS TO TACTILEY ANALYZE HINDERS PROGRESS....