Zhou Xing: xlzhou0421@vip.sina.com
It is said that "Semiotics" is composed of three parts: grammar, semantic and pragmatic.
Obey the grammar, you can use the specification language, clarify the semantics, and communicate our ideas. So what do you want to discuss? According to the explanation of the Webster dictionary, Pragmatics is a branch of the relationship between symbols or language components and their users in symbolics. "(A branch of semiotcs that deals wth the Relaton Between Signs OR LINGUISTIC Expressions and their users.)
This is too abstract, and some people can't touch my mind. We can't help but ask: What is the relationship between symbols and their users?
For short, in the following discussion, we use the word "words" to refer to words, language components in the natural language on the level of symbol streams; the identifiers in the computer language, the program block.
Example discussion
Let us now discuss this issue from the general social life.
Example 1: There are two groups of people in different backgrounds sitting together. One of the groups of people are discussing the problem of influenza in society. Some people mention "viruses" in the speech. They are "biological viruses" in the context of medicine.
Another group of people is discussing computer security issues, some people mention "virus" in the speech, they are "computer viruses" in the context of computer security.
Comment: This is a typical example of the same term in different "speech".
Example 2: A Mr. B borrowed neighbor B to Beijing's business trip, let him buy a pair of red shoes. Mr. B seriously selected a pair of cloth shoes that "fully meet the full requirements of Ms. A in specifications". However, Ms. A is very dissatisfied. Mr. B is confused, I have met the shoes you bought, why are you still dissatisfied? Ms. A replied: "I have gone married, with children, how can I wear this crimson color shoes? You should buy a pair of jujube red."
Comment: The "red" of Mr. B. Mr. B is "red" is "red", he didn't expect that for the thinness of a thinner A, the word "red" can further divide more and more detailed. In other words, the term "red" on the surface can be understood as "bright red". "Dahong", "pink", "blush", "jujube red" ..., there is still ambiguitous. Ms. A In "Pragmatic" considerations make the "red" "red", "red" is further refined, and the formula is expressed is: "Red" "Ms. A Ms." → "Jujube Red".
Example 3: "Sunshine", "Youth", "China", "Lin Daiyu" ... I have been noun. However, in recent years, it is popular in TV and young people to use the nouns as modified words (adjectives and adverbs):
I like this boy because he is very sunshine.
The students said that I wore this skirt very youth.
My face is very China.
She also wants Lin Daiyu than Lin Daiyu.
..........
Comment: This means that new usage adds new semantics to the original words.
Example 4: It is imagined that some people like to see a piece of clothes very like, and ask the salesperson: "How much is this dress?"
If the salesperson replied: "120 yuan." This is a normal answer.
If the salesperson added another sentence: "There is only this one." Mean: "To buy a quick money, otherwise it will not be up to you." This involves a special "pragmatic": salesperson euphemist Use the way she really wants to express her way to express her mean to express her truly. Comments: When many people want to say a word, but straight to see that they are not polite, rude ... but can't be said, it is often used to use this kind of gentle. This is a special language, which uses the reason for each other in social life.
analysis
The "words of the word" are involved in Example 1. Most of the words in the natural language are polyfang. However, in a particular "context", its meaning is basically uniquely determined. [If this is not the case, the listener will ask questions and ask the other party to "clear, and to be confusing". 】
There is also the same situation in computer programming languages. If it is not a division of labor, the variable used in the program I wrote "X" and the variable used in the program you write "X" are not a thing. Even in the same program, you can embed a Block, which is the same as that, but actually different variables "x".
It can be considered that any "language ingredient" has the meaning of "context" to be determined. The difference between the natural language and computer language is: the latter can be "solved" through the principle of Scope, and the former is to do through social life common sense, professional knowledge can be done (this is Computers understand the biggest difficulties encountered during natural language).
Example 2 indicates that if further advances in the fine direction, words that seem to be unsatisfactory in any surface become "polymity". There is no such example in computer programming language: a simple program loop looks very clear, but if you further ask: Is this loop in a very innermost layer and must be optimized, or it is not clear, it is not clear. If it is further clarified, it is necessary to explain with Pragma et al.
Example 3 shows that natural language is often produced by "popular new usage". However, in a computer language, it is necessary to "explicitly" before defining it.
Example 4 further involved in the reasoning of social life common sense, this article is not discussed.
Positive effect
In most of the literature on NLP, ambiguous (ambiguity, one word has a variety of words) Always treat as a negative thing. But in actual life, ambiguous has its positive side.
Example 1A: The two groups of "computer viruses" and "biological virus" are discussing in Example 1, the purpose is to develop the name of the last project in an annual scientific research project declaration outline for the leading government. Due to the restrictions on the funds mastered by the competent authority, only the last item is allowed, and the application must be reported before 12 noon, and the expiration is invalid.
It can be imagined that these two groups will not compete with each other and do not meet together. However, in order to avoid the delay between the reporting timing, the two sides will be made to write a "consensus, but each other's own understanding". "" "Research on the establishment of" virus "detection and prevention mechanism. As for that kind of virus, it will be further referred to in the future.
Comment: This is an imaginary example, but he shows the essence of many diplomatic documents. The ambiguitization of natural language shows this great feature.
In the field of literary art, the ambiguittion is not good. In addition to the novels, poems, music language in music, the limbs in the dance, provides greatly playing their imagination or further interpretation of spaces, directors, and performers through their vague. With such space, readers, audience, audience, performers ... can be actively involved, get aesthetics and other all aspects.
Comparison of views
For "Semantic" and "Pragmatic", a traditional explanation is:
l "Semantic" is a word or a language component "", "it and" Speech Situation "including speaker, listener, context, etc. l and Pragmatics is the meaning of language components relative to speech.
But according to the observation of the outside, any one of the words or a language ingredient is multiple, in which the "inherent" is only has a time, the meaning of time. And over time is still constantly changing, this "natural property" will become more and more weak.
Therefore, regarding "Semantic" and "Quote", you may wish to summarize the following words:
l "Semantic" is an explanation of a word or a language component. It is usually more than one explanation. In the natural language, a new language of a word is often generated by a popular new usage.
l "Quote" is: The two sides of the language determine the one according to the "context" where the word or language component is located.
l The range of "context" varies greatly: from a sentence, a paragraph, to the entire article, and even the author's identity and situation, the cultural background of the era. Experts studying ancient Chinese and ancient poetry often explore the identity of the author's life and experience, which is this truth.
Conclusion
l In a natural language, each word has a variety of semantics. There is also a similar phenomenon in your computer language. This is "ambiguous" at the same level.
l On the same level (concept) will show new feasibility in the next level in further refinement (such as "red" refinement into "red, pink, jujube red" ...).
l The morbidity of the word will change with the times. In the natural language, the generation of a new semantic term for a word is due to the popularity of the new usage. In a computer language, as a symbolic identifier can also get a new meaning, but it is often necessary to "first define, and then use".
The presence of ambiguity provides "explanation and imagination space" to "interpretors". So the concept of "pragmatic" is then taken. The "quantitative" effect is to make the "semantic" of the words further formulate or refine the identity or refinement of the obedients, the listeners.
