Session 4: Words and Meanings

Most words have a range of meanings, and we need context to determine what aspect of a word’s meaning an author intends. The words we use most often do not have a specific meaning. Rather, they have a semantic range of meanings that can be activated by different features of the context. In other words, a word itself is only one factor of discovering its meaning.

For instance, the word “Run” has a variety of meanings. It can be used in multiple contexts and yet mean something quite different each time, depending on the meaning intended.

Examples:

1) To move slowly – “The vines ran up the side of the house.”

2) To move quickly – “He ran to work.”

3) To make a trip – “I’ll run to the store.”

The above examples highlight the linguistic concept known as “Meaning in Context. It facilitates the understanding of words and their distinctive usage, paying attention to their surrounding words in a given text. This context is particularly helpful in courses like Poetry Appreciation, because no matter how strange or difficult a word might appear, it’s meaning can easily be decoded with proper mastery of Meaning in Context.