SEMANTICS

O Literal and figurative language is a

distinction in traditional systems for analyzing language.

O Literal language refers to words that do not

deviate from their defined meaning.

O Figurative language refers to words, and

groups of words, that exaggerate or alter the usual meanings of the component words. Figurative language may involve analogy to similar concepts or other contexts, and may involve exaggerations. These alterations result in figures of speech.

O In traditional analysis, words in literal

expressions denote what they mean according to common or dictionary usage, while the words in figurative expressions connotethey add layers of meaning.
O For example, the sentence "The ground is thirsty" is partly

figurative: "Ground" has a literal meaning, but the ground is not alive and therefore neither needs to drink nor feels thirst. Readers immediately reject a literal interpretation and confidently interpret the words to mean "The ground is dry," an analogy to the condition that would trigger thirst in an animal
O However, the statement "When I first saw her, my soul

began to quiver" is harder to interpret. It could describe infatuation, panic, or something else entirely. The context a person requires to interpret this statement is familiarity with the speaker's feelings. Other people can give a few words a provisional set of meanings, but cannot understand the figurative utterance until acquiring more information about it.

O Figurative language departs from literal

meaning to achieve a special effect or meaning. O Techniques for doing so are listed in the article on Figures of speech.This can be found in many books and paragraphs. It is good to include both of these in storys and essays.

O Specific examples O Simile A figure of speech in which one thing is explicitly

compared to another, as in she is like a rose. Compare metaphor. Example: Suzie is as quiet as a mouse and as tall as a giraffe. O MetaphorA figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in A mighty fortress is our God. Compare mixed metaphor, simile def. 1 . ]Example: She was a hippo compared to her aunt. O OnomatopoeiaThe formation of a word, as cuckoo or boom, by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent. Example: Bark! Bark! went the dog as he chased the car that vroomed past O .PersonificationThe attribution of a personal nature or character to inanimate objects or abstract notions, especially as a rhetorical figure. Example: The sun opened its sleepy eyes and smiled down on the Earth as a new day began.

O Oxymoron A figure of speech in which a pair of opposite

or contradictory terms are used together for emphasis. Examples: Organized chaos, Same difference Paradox A statement or proposition which is selfcontradictory, unreasonable, or ]Example: This statement is a lie. Hyperbole A figure of speech which uses an extravagant or exaggerated statement to express strong ]Example: They had been walking so long John thought he might drink the entire lake when they came upon it. Extended metaphor A metaphor that is continued over multiple sentences.[8]Example: Suzie is a beautiful young flowering girl. Her cheeks are flush with the spring of life. She has the fragrance of youth about her. AllusionReference to a famous character or event. Example: Like Hercules, he is so strong.

Figurative Expression
O

In traditional analysis, words in figurative expressions connote additional layers of meaning, while words in literal expressions denote what they mean according to common or dictionary usage. When the human ear or eye receives the message, the mind must interpret the data to convert it into meaning. What are Figurative? On many occasions, the words may not convey the literal meaning of them. They may convey the indirect meanings which may be just the opposite to their literal meanings. Such symbolical and metaphorical meanings are called Figurative. They contain the figure of speech.

Let us see few examples of Figurative Expression to make the point clear.
Example-1: The Phrase Yellow Press does not give the literal meaning that the press which is in Yellow color. On the contrary, it conveys the meaning of The News Papers which publish sensational and unscrupulous stories about crime, sex etc... Example-2: The Phrase In the same boat does not convey the literal meaning. It has the figurative meaning that in the same misfortune or circumstances.

O Idiomaticity O An idiom is a group of words whose meaning cannot be

explained in terms of the habitual or individual meanings of the component words that make up the phrase.. Example: fly off the handle which means to lose ones temper O Idioms are often used orally than in writing and are language-specific. Translation of idioms from one language to another are not really effective as the total meaning is lost. O Idiomaticity is a regulated feature in set phrases specific to that particular language where even within the language the words cannot be replaced.