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Componential Analysis and Examples

Componential analysis breaks down words into their semantic components or meanings. Words like woman, bachelor, spinster, and wife are composed of elements like [ADULT], [HUMAN], [MALE], [FEMALE], and [MARRIED] or [UNMARRIED]. A semantic component is a contrastive part of a word's meaning that distinguishes it from other words, such as [MALE] distinguishing man from woman. A lexical unit represents the form and single meaning of a word. The document provides examples of componential analyses for various words.

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Mar Crespo
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3K views

Componential Analysis and Examples

Componential analysis breaks down words into their semantic components or meanings. Words like woman, bachelor, spinster, and wife are composed of elements like [ADULT], [HUMAN], [MALE], [FEMALE], and [MARRIED] or [UNMARRIED]. A semantic component is a contrastive part of a word's meaning that distinguishes it from other words, such as [MALE] distinguishing man from woman. A lexical unit represents the form and single meaning of a word. The document provides examples of componential analyses for various words.

Uploaded by

Mar Crespo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Componential analysis

Words are not the smallest semantic units but are built up (made)
of smaller components of meaning which are combined differently
(or lexicalized) to form different words.
Thus, words like woman, bachelor, spinster, and wife have been
viewed as being composed of elements such as [ADULT], [HUMAN]
and so on:
woman [FEMALE] [ADULT] [HUMAN]
bachelor [MALE] [ADULT] [HUMAN] [UNMARRIED]
spinster [FEMALE] [ADULT] [HUMAN] [UNMARRIED]
wife [FEMALE] [ADULT] [HUMAN] [MARRIED]
The elements in square brackets are called semantic components, or
semantic primitives, and this kind of analysis is often called
componential analysis (CA for short)
What is a semantic component?
A semantic component is a potentially contrastive part of the
meaning of a lexical unit. It distinguishes one lexical unit from
another, e.g., “Male” is the contrastive semantic component
distinguishing man from woman, and boy from girl.
What is a lexical unit?
A lexical unit is a form-meaning composite that represents a lexical
form and the single meaning of a lexeme.
1. The componential analysis of sparrow is the following one:
a) [+beak] [+feathers] [+small and lightweight] [-can fly] [+thin/short legs] [+short tail]
b) [+beak] [-feathers] [+small and lightweight] [+can fly] [+thin/short legs] [+short tail]
c) [+beak] [+feathers] [+small and lightweight] [+can fly] [+thin/short legs] [+short tail]
d) [+beak] [+feathers] [-small and lightweight] [-can fly] [-thin/short legs] [+short tail]

2. The description [+beak] [+feathers] [+thin/short legs] [+short tail] [-red breast] corresponds to the
componential analysis of:
a) dove
b) ostrich
c) bird
d) stork

3. The componential analysis of ‘colt’ is:


a) [+equine] [+male] [+mature]
b) [+equine] [-male] [+mature]
c) [+equine] [-male] [-mature]
d) [+equine] [+male] [-mature]

4. The componential analysis of ‘filly’ is:


a) [+equine] [+male] [+mature]
b) [+equine] [-male] [+mature]
c) [+equine] [-male] [-mature]
d) [+equine] [+male] [-mature]
5. The following definition in terms of componential analysis (Lays eggs [+], beak [+], two wings and two legs
[+], feathers [+], small and lightweight [+], can fly [+], chirps/sings [+], thin/short legs [+], short tail [+], red
breast [+]) corresponds to the word:
a) sparrow
b) robin
c) dove
d) ostrich

6. The componential analysis of ‘spinster’ is:


a. [+FEMALE] [+ADULT] [+HUMAN]
b. [−FEMALE] [+ADULT] [+HUMAN] [−MARRIED]
c. [+FEMALE] [+ADULT] [+HUMAN] [−MARRIED]
d. [+FEMALE] [+ADULT] [+HUMAN] [+MARRIED]

7. The componential analysis of ‘wife’ is:


a. [+FEMALE] [+ADULT] [+HUMAN]
b. [−FEMALE] [+ADULT] [+HUMAN] [−MARRIED]
c. [+FEMALE] [+ADULT] [+HUMAN] [−MARRIED]
d. [+FEMALE] [+ADULT] [+HUMAN] [+MARRIED]

8. The componential analysis of ‘bachelor’ is:


a. [+FEMALE] [+ADULT] [+HUMAN]
b. [−FEMALE] [+ADULT] [+HUMAN] [−MARRIED]
c. [+FEMALE] [+ADULT] [+HUMAN] [−MARRIED]
d. [+FEMALE] [+ADULT] [+HUMAN] [+MARRIED]

9. The componential analysis of ‘boy’ is:


a. +HUMAN +ADULT +MALE
b. +HUMAN +ADULT -MALE
c. +HUMAN -ADULT +MALE
d. +HUMAN -ADULT -MALE

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