Matthews stated that semantics field is a distinct part of the lexicon defied by some general term or concept. E.g in English the semantics field of color included
words such as black, and red that distinguished colors, or are hyponyms of the more general term color.
27
Semantics field plays a role in semantic change. The words hot and cold are antonym describing physical temperature. With pair of antonyms, if one number
undergoes a metaphorical extension, the other tends to change in a parallel position. In colloquial styles, we can speak of a hot car stolen car, hence we would refer the
phrase cold car to one that is not stolen, on the ground that semantic field in a parallel position, and not just single members of the field
28
D. Componential Analysis
The assumption of systematic relationships of meaning between words is however independent of the problem of explaining the basis of these relationships: and
considerable amount of detailed work on the structure of the vocabulary has been done in recent years. Many linguists have turned to what has been called componential
analysis to give an explicit representation of the semantics relations between words.
29
Kempson added that in this theory words are analyzed not as unitary concepts but as complexes made up of components of meaning which are themselves semantic
primitives. In this vein, spinster might be analyzed as a semantic complex made up of the features equivalently called components or marker [FEMALE], [NEVER
27
Petter Matthews, The consise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics. New York: oxford University Press, 1997. p.334
28
Akmajian, et.al op cit. 1989.p.367
29
Kempton, Ruth. M. Semantic Theory. Syney: Cambridge University Press. 1980.p.18
MARRIED], [ADULT], [HUMAN]. This form of analysis was used in particular by anthropologist seeking to give an account of kinship terminology in various cultures.
Lehrer mentioned that semantic components or features are theoretical constructs lexical item will be defined in terms of components. In a sense, a dictionary
definition is an informal componential analysis, in which each part of the definition is
a component.
O’Grady cited another approach to meaning to represent a word’s intention it down into smaller semantic components known as componential analysis or semantics
decomposition. Many linguists have turned to componential analysis to give an explicit representation of the semantic relations between words.
30
Then Lyon
31
looked upon componential analysis is the broadening of the semantic field theory.
Componential analysis is a technique for describing interrelation of meaning by breaking concept down into minimal components, or features, which are
distinctive in terms of a semantic opposition or dimension of contrast.
32
Meanwhile Allan et al in Euphemism and Dysphemism: language used as Shield and Weapon 1991:16 did support the usage the componential analysis to
analyze euphemistic term by revealing that “the process involved here is a kind of componential analysis, the sense of the taboo terms are unpacked and each of the
meaning components are listed… using this method, a new euphemism can easily be created”.
30
Wlliam O’Grady, Contemporary Linguistics. London: Longman Pearson Education.1996. p.78
31
John, Lyon. Semantics. Melbourne- Cambridge University Press, 1977. p.326
32
Geoffry, Leech. Semantics. New Zealand: Penguin Book ltd. 1997. p.124
There are there kind of component of meaning: 1. Generic Common component is one or more of components which are judged
to be most significant factor. This component describes to which these lexem belong to as to differentiate it from other semantic domain. For instance: the
lexemes man, woman, boy, and girl have the common component [HUMAN]. 2. Diagnostic component is components that are important and sufficient to
distinguish the sense of one lexeme from the sense of another lexeme. This diagnostic component is a core part that dictionary makers incorporate into
their definition of words. For example” [ADULT] and [MALE] are the diagnostic components for man, woman, boy and girl.
3. Supplementary or incidental component is non-diagnostics components to identify the sense of the word. For instance: [MARRIED] is the incidental or
supplementary components for spinster, bachelor and wife. Meanwhile, Jackson in Word in Their Meaning cited that are only 2 broad types
of component. Those serve to identify a semantic domain, and to distinguish lexemes from each other within semantic domain. They are also shared by all the lexemes in
the domain. Therefore, in this research, the writer is going to discuss only 2 types of components, common and diagnostic component.
33
Such as componential analysis can be applied many areas of the vocabularies. For example, the distinction between murder and kill can be stated explicitly and
economically, if murder is analyzed as having a meaning which are components representing intention, causation, and death. Whereas kill as having the components
33
Howard, Jackson. Word and Their Meaning. New York: longman. 1975. P 89.
that representing only causation and death. Using the method of componential analysis, we can then formally define synonymy, hyponymy, incompatibility etc. On
the basis, a set of features follows that spinster is a hyponymy of woman because it contains all the features of woman as part of its specification, and that spinster is
incompatible with bachelor by virtue of the contrast of sex specification and with wife by virtue of the material specification.
Another interpretation of lexical item of semantic components using a binary feature is conventionally written in capital letters and placed in square brackets, which
is able to take only three values, either it is present [+], or it is absent [-], or it may be present or absent [+-] and also could be marked [0]. Accordingly spinster might be
characterized as having for its meaning. - [MALE] + [HUMAN] + [ADULT] - [MARRIED]
bachelor, an item incompatible with spinster, as having + [MALE] + [HUMAN] + [ADULT] - [MARRIED]
Wife, another incompatible item, as having - [MALE] + [HUMAN] + [ADULT] +[MARRIED]
- E.
Cultural Meaning
The exact nature of the relationship between language and culture has fascinated, and continues to fascinate, people from a wide variety of background. That there
should be some kind of relationship between the sounds, words, and syntax of language and the ways in which speakers of that language experience the world and
behave in seems so obvious as to be a truism.
Culture of societies consist of whatever it is one has to know or believe in order to operate in manner acceptable to its member, and to do so in any role that they accept
for any one of themselves
34
. Cultures involve the way of the society daily living, music, literature, customs, language, values, and arts.
Linguist mentioned that culture of a people finds reflection in the language they employ, because the value certain things and do them in certain way, its means they
come to use their language in way that reflect what the value and what the do. A cultural meaning is the typical frequently requiring and widely shared aspect of
the interpretation of some type of object or event evoked in people as a result of their similar life experiences Spiro 1987a:163. To call it a cultural meaning is to imply
that a different interpretation would be evoked in people with different characteristic life experiences. For example, “the cultural of X” contains or cause the meaning of
the X people. It is because
cultures are sets of beliefs or values that give meaning to ways of life and produce and are reproduced through material and symbolic forms.
F. Meaning Relation
