Semantics:Indefinite: Difference between revisions
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English has two words for the | English has two words for the indefinite, some and any. The differens between can be very hard to detangle if you are not aware of it. | ||
[[File: | [[File:Indefinite relation.png|600px|thumbnail|right|The relation between indefinite meanings]] | ||
Indefinite encompasses 9 fields where the word can differ. | |||
*Specific Known: "''Somebody'' called today, guess who?", Refers to an entity known to the speaker. | *Specific Known: "''Somebody'' called today, guess who?", Refers to an entity known to the speaker. | ||
*Specific Unknown: "I heard ''something'', what was it?", Refers to an entity | *Specific Unknown: "I heard ''something'', what was it?", Refers to an entity unknown to the speaker. | ||
*Irrealis: "You must try ''somewhere'' else", refers to an unspecific entity not being | *Irrealis: "You must try ''somewhere'' else", refers to an unspecific entity not being physically referred to. | ||
*Question: "Did ''someone'' say that?", If its in a question | *Question: "Did ''someone'' say that?", If its in a question | ||
*Conditional Antecedent: "If you see ''anyone'', tell me", It is in the condition of a statement | *Conditional Antecedent: "If you see ''anyone'', tell me", It is in the condition of a statement | ||
*Indirect Negation: "I don't think that ''anyone'' knows the answer", the negation is | *Indirect Negation: "I don't think that ''anyone'' knows the answer", the negation is typically done at a higher level or clause. | ||
*Direct negation: "John Didn't see ''anybody''", The statement with the | *Direct negation: "John Didn't see ''anybody''", The statement with the indefinite is directly negated | ||
*Comparative: "John is taller than ''anybody''", it is in a comparison | *Comparative: "John is taller than ''anybody''", it is in a comparison | ||
*Free Choice: "You can sit ''anywhere''", Statements where the choice is free by the one involved | *Free Choice: "You can sit ''anywhere''", Statements where the choice is free by the one involved | ||
These are not unrelated to each other but have a semantic relation shown to the right. If a word, like | These are not unrelated to each other but have a semantic relation shown to the right. If a word, like English "any", covers 2 meanings connected by something else, like Question and Direct Negation that are connected through Indirect Negation, then the word itself, "any", must also contain the meaning of the thing in between, in this case indirect negation. | ||
[[Category:Semantics]] | [[Category:Semantics]] | ||
Revision as of 18:41, 24 May 2013
English has two words for the indefinite, some and any. The differens between can be very hard to detangle if you are not aware of it.
Indefinite encompasses 9 fields where the word can differ.
- Specific Known: "Somebody called today, guess who?", Refers to an entity known to the speaker.
- Specific Unknown: "I heard something, what was it?", Refers to an entity unknown to the speaker.
- Irrealis: "You must try somewhere else", refers to an unspecific entity not being physically referred to.
- Question: "Did someone say that?", If its in a question
- Conditional Antecedent: "If you see anyone, tell me", It is in the condition of a statement
- Indirect Negation: "I don't think that anyone knows the answer", the negation is typically done at a higher level or clause.
- Direct negation: "John Didn't see anybody", The statement with the indefinite is directly negated
- Comparative: "John is taller than anybody", it is in a comparison
- Free Choice: "You can sit anywhere", Statements where the choice is free by the one involved
These are not unrelated to each other but have a semantic relation shown to the right. If a word, like English "any", covers 2 meanings connected by something else, like Question and Direct Negation that are connected through Indirect Negation, then the word itself, "any", must also contain the meaning of the thing in between, in this case indirect negation.