Meaning and discourse

This chapter explores how meaning operates within language, from individual words to broader discourse. It begins with lexical meaning, distinguishing literal and figurative uses, and introduces concepts like metaphor and metonymy. The chapter also examines polysemy, which refers to words that have related meanings, and homonymy, where identical forms have unrelated meanings. It then addresses sense relations such as synonymy, antonymy and hyponymy, followed by logical aspects of language such as inference, propositions and presuppositions. Pragmatics is discussed as the study of meaning in context, highlighting deixis and its role in anchoring expressions to discourse. Texts are linked together through coherence and cohesion, anaphora and inference. Finally, the chapter introduces the wider uses of meaning across discourse and language rooted in society within sociolinguistics, introducing discourse analysis and focusing on conversational dynamics, power relations and social identity reflected in language use.