Semantics I

Code:

DCL007

Acronym:

S_I

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Language Sciences - Linguistics

Instance: 2023/2024 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Portuguese and Romance Studies
Course/CS Responsible:	3rd Cycle of Studies in Language Sciences

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
DCL	2	Study plan	1	-	6	41	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students
Obs.: Obs.: Classes are taught in Portuguese.

Objectives

1.To deepen and enlarge knowledge on recent semantic developments;
2.To be able to apply that knowledge to a grounded analysis of language semantic aspects, with particular emphasis on Portuguese.
3. To encourage an analytical attitude towards the theoretical proposals and also to their relation to linguistic data.

Learning outcomes and competences

1.To be able to apply the aqcuired knowledge to a grounded analysis of language semantic aspects, with particular emphasis on Portuguese. 
2. Analytical attitude towards the theoretical proposals and also to their relation to linguistic data.

Working method

Presencial

Program

I. Semantic theory: objectives, restrictions, and conditions
1.  Formal Semantics and meaning.
2. The Compositionality Principle.

II. From Word Semantics to Sentence Semantics
1. On the semantics of nouns
1.1. Semantic classification of nouns: proper nouns and common nouns.
1.2. Nouns and predicates.
1.3. Count nouns and non-count nouns.
2. Quantification and Quantifiers: quantifier types.
3. Definite and indefinite noun phrases.
4. Bare nouns.

 III. Sentence Semantics
1. Aspect: types of situations and sentence Aspect.
2. On types of situations: some problems.
3. Aspect and noun semantics.
4. Aspect and prepositional semantics.
5. Aspect and tenses.

Mandatory literature

BINNICK, R. I. (ed.) ; The Oxford Handbook of Tense and Aspect, Oxford: Oxford University Press., 2012
CHIERCHIA, G. & S. McCONNELL-GINET; Meaning and Grammar: an Introduction to Semantics, 2nd ed., Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2000. ISBN: ISBN: 0-262-53164-X
LAPPIN, S. (ed.) ; The Handbook of Contemporary Semantic Theory, , Oxford: Blackwell., 1997
OLIVEIRA, F. ; “Semântica”, in Faria, I., E. Pedro, I. Duarte & C.Gouveia (orgs.) Introdução à Linguística Geral e Portuguesa, pp. 333-379., Ed. Caminho, série Linguística, 1996
OLIVEIRA, F., ; "Alguns Caminhos da Semântica" in Fiéis, A. e M.A. Coutinho (eds.) Textos Seleccionados do XXIV Encontro da APL, pp. 23-41., Lisboa, Colibri, 2009
SAEED, J. I. ; Semantics, Oxford: Blackwell., 2000. ISBN: 0-631-20035-5
SZABOLCSI, A. ; Quantification, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. ISBN: 9780521715935
ZIMMERMANN, T. E. & STERNEFELD, W. ; Introduction to Semantics. An Essential Guide to the Composition of Meaning, De Gruyter, 2013. ISBN: 978-3-11-030800-6

Complementary Bibliography

CUNHA, L.F.; "Aspeto". In. Raposo, E.P: et al (eds) Gramática do Português, cap.17., Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, 2013
DUARTE, Inês. e Fàtima OLIVEIRA; “Referência Nominal” in Mateus, M. H. et al. Gramática da Língua Portuguesa, Editorial Caminho, 2006
Fátima Oliveira & Ana Cristina Macário Lopes; “Tense and Aspect in Portuguese” in Thieroff, R. (org.) Tense System in European Languages, vol. II, pp. 95-115. , Tubinga: Max Niemeyer Verlag, 1995
OLIVEIRA, F. ; “Tempo e Aspecto” in Mateus, M. H. et al. Gramática da Língua Portuguesa, pp. 127-178, Editorial Caminho, 2006

Comments from the literature

During the semester, information about the relevant chapters and/or pages, and about supplementary bibliography will be given.

Teaching methods and learning activities

1. Presentation of the topics, with handouts, together with reading suggestions.
2. Development of techniques for analysing and manipulating semantic data.
3. Presentation (by the students) and discussion of some of the reading suggestions.
4. Research work on a selected topic (with oral presentation following the scientific meetings patterns. and a written text, incorporating the comments of oral presentation, following the rules for a written paper to be published).  

keywords

Humanities > language sciences > Linguistics > Semantics

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Prova oral	20,00
Trabalho escrito	60,00
Participação presencial	20,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	60,00
Frequência das aulas	41,00
Trabalho de investigação	61,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

According to the rules.

Calculation formula of final grade

1. Essay: 60%
2. Oral presentation: 20%.
3. Participation in classes: 20%

Examinations or Special Assignments

According to the legislation.

Internship work/project

Not applicable.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

According to the legislation.

Classification improvement

Not applicable.