Semantics-Final Exam-29 July 2020 - Answer Key
Semantics-Final Exam-29 July 2020 - Answer Key
Semantics-Final Exam-29 July 2020 - Answer Key
I. (2 marks)
Explain what it means to say that HYPONYMY involves ENTAILMENT. Provide ONE example to
prove your point.
→ Given two sentences A and B, identical in every way except that A contains a word X where B
contains a different word Y, and X is a HYPONYM of Y, then sentence A ENTAILS sentence B.
→ The sentence is anomalous because dog and write poetry are not semantically compatible to
be combined in this way. Dog is [-human] whereas the action of writes poetry has the semantic
feature of [+human].
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III. (2 marks)
What is the sense relation between each pair of words listed below?
1. damp/moist: SYNONYMY
2. deep/shallow: ANTONYMY
3. furniture/table: HYPONYMY
4. married/single: ANTONYMY
5. move/run: HYPONYMY
6. peace/piece: HOMOPHONY/HOMOPHONES
7. bark/bark HOMONYMY
8. take/steal: HYPONYMY
9. spoon/cutlery: HYPONYMY
10. lamb/lamb: POLYSEMY
IV. (2.5 marks)
Explain the AMBIGUITY in each of the following sentences by providing TWO SENTENCES that
paraphrase its two meanings.
b. She is looking for a a short, thin piece of wood or cardboard used to light a fire.
a.She wore a suit which was not heavy to the party that night.
V. (2 marks)
INTERPRET the meaning of the following sentences and identify the kind of FIGURES OF SPEECH
used.
→ keeping the brake is a METAPHOR. The whole sentence means his organization is
controlling the increase of money paid.
→ a good head for business is a METONYMY. The whole sentence means he is smart
at/gifted in doing business.
→ like a prison is a SIMILE. The whole sentence means she can not leave her home or she
is trapped inside.