AJL52011 Topics in Linguistics: Semantics

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025

The course is not taught in Spring 2025

Extent and Intensity
0/0/0. 7 credit(s) (plus 3 credits for an exam). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Naděžda Kudrnáčová, CSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Jana Chamonikolasová, Ph.D.
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.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Description of the course and its objectives: This course is designed for combined MA students. It offers a detailed treatment of some of the crucial problems of semantic analysis. The course is designed for advanced students. Students successfully completing the course will be able to examine the relation between linguistic form and linguistic meaning and to analyze the syntactic structuration of the English sentence in relation to its semantic structuration. They will also be able to analyze the internal temporal structuration of English verbs, to identify types of semantic roles and types of thematic role grids and to discuss selected problems relating to sentence types, modality and voice. The course is taught in English.
Syllabus
  • Topics that will be covered include: -linguistic form in relation to linguistic meaning -syntax- semantics interface -lexical aspect -types of situations -tense vs. aspect -modality -evidentiality -semantic roles -thematic role grids -arguments vs. adjuncts -voice -sentence types -the English progressive
Literature
    required literature
  • Daneš,F. (1968) "Some Thoughts on the Semantic Structure of the Sentence." In: Lingua 21:55-69.
  • Bernard Comrie: Aspect. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (1976)
  • Saeed, John I.: Semantics (Blackwell 1997)
  • HUDDLESTON, Rodney and Geoffrey K. PULLUM. The Cambridge grammar of the English language. Edited by Laurie Bauer. 1st pub. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002, xvii, 1842. ISBN 9780521431460. info
  • QUIRK, Randolph. A comprehensive grammar of the English language. Edited by David Crystal. 1st pub. London: Longman, 1985, x, 1779. ISBN 9780582517349. info
  • PALMER, F. R. Semantics. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981, vi, 221. ISBN 0521239664. info
  • VENDLER, Zeno. Linguistics in philosophy. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1967. info
    recommended literature
  • DUŠKOVÁ, Libuše. Mluvnice současné angličtiny : na pozadí češtiny. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 1988, 673 p. info
Teaching methods
One 1.5 hour seminar, held every other week of the term.
Assessment methods
Seminar attendance is compulsory. Assessment: at the end of the course, students can either sit a written exam or submit an essay.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is taught: every other week.
General note: This course is NOT designated for Erasmus students! List of courses offerd by the Department of English and American studies for Erasmsus students is available at http://www.phil.muni.cz/wkaa/ under "Information for Erasmus students".
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/AJL52011