AJL22068 Semantics: Sentence Semantics

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Naděžda Kudrnáčová, CSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Naděžda Kudrnáčová, CSc.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/30, only registered: 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Objectives of the course: This course is designed for MA students. It offers a detailed treatment of some of the basic problems connected with the analysis of the semantic structure of the sentence. The course is designed for advanced students. Students will also be acquainted with sentential logic. The course aims to encourage an active approach on the part of students toward the subject matter. The course is taught in English.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, students will be able to: - read and understand literature in the field - identify and discuss problems related to sentence semantics - describe the relation between the level of cognitive content and the level of linguistic meaning - identify and explain key concepts in the semantics of an English sentence - describe the semantic structure of sentences and relationships between sentences - write an essay on topics in sentence semantics
Syllabus
  • Topics that will be covered include: -the level of cognitive content vs. the level of linguistic meaning -´static semantics´ vs. ´dynamic semantics´ -sentence semantics in relation to sentence syntax -case grammar -verbal meaning in relation to sentence meaning -types of thematic roles and theta-grids -sentence meaning and other types of meaning -compositionality -negation -logical relations between sentences -sentential logic -predicates and arguments -grammaticality, acceptability, meaningfulness -propositional content -sentence-types
Literature
    required literature
  • Sebastian Löbner: Understanding Semantics. London: Arnold (2002).
  • Daneš,F.(1968) "Some Thoughts on the Semantic Structure of the Sentence." In: Lingua 21:55-69.
  • SAEED, John I. Semantics. 3rd ed. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009, xvii, 456. ISBN 9781405156394. info
  • LYONS, John. Linguistic semantics : an introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995, xvi, 376. ISBN 0521438772. info
    recommended literature
  • F. R. Palmer: Semantics, 2nd edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (1982).
  • ALLAN, Keith. Natural language semantics. 1st pub. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2001, xix, 529. ISBN 0631192972. info
  • CRUSE, D. Alan. Meaning in language : an introduction to semantics and pragmatics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000, xii, 424. ISBN 0198700105. info
  • LEECH, Geoffrey. Semantics :the study of meaning. 2nd ed. London: Penguin Books, 1981, xii, 383 s. ISBN 0-14-013487-5. info
Teaching methods
One seminar every week.
Assessment methods
Seminar attendance is compulsory. Assessment: students can choose between a written test and a research paper on any topic in sentence semantics. The length of the paper: approx. 2.000 words (including bibliography).
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/AJL22068