Denotation and Connotation
In the study
about languange, words have two main kinds of meaning, denotation and
connotation. Denotation is the literal meaning or definition of a word,
the explicit, particular, defined meaning, which usually can be pinned down
with reasonable precision. Perhaps it could be called the overt, intellectual
meaning of a word. Dictionary definitions are denotative meanings.
For example, was Laura to look up the word 'rose' in the dictionary, she would find something like, 'a bush or shrub that produces flowers, usually red, pink, white or yellow in color.' Similarly, street names, like Sistrunk Boulevard or Northeast Sixth Street, tell people where they are and help them get to where they want to go.
Denotation' tends to be described as
the definitional, literal,
obvious or common-sense meaning of a sign.
In the case of linguistic signs, the denotative meaning is what the dictionary attempts
to provide
Denotation refers to the direct or dictionarymeaning of a word, in contrast to its figurative or associated meanings (connotations). Verb: denote. Adjective: denotative. Also called extension or reference.
Put another way, "[L]inguistic expressions
are linked in virtue of their meaning to parts of the world around us, which is
the basis of our use of language to convey information about
reality. The denotation
of an expression is the part of reality the expression is linked to" (Kate
Kearns, Semantics,
2011).
Denotative meaning is sometimes called cognitive meaning, referential meaning,
or conceptual meaning.
Connotation is the suggestive meaning of a word, all the values, judgments, and status implied by a word, the historical and associative accretion of "unspoken significance" behind the literal meaning. Many words have evaluative implications behind them, and convey a positive or negative attitude toward the things they name; this flavor of the word or its overtone of meaning, whether it makes you feel like smiling, sneering, kissing, conquering, or giving up, that is the word's connotation. We might say it is the emotional meaning of the word. This meaning is seldom found in the dictionary.
On the other
hand, connotation is a word's underlying meanings; it is all the stuff
we associate with a word. So, while a rose is indeed a type of flower, we also
associate roses with romantic love, beauty and even special days, like
Valentine's Day or anniversaries. Connotations go beyond the literal to what we
think and feel when we hear or see a word.
So, while Sistrunk Boulevard tells people in Fort Lauderdale where they are (denotation), the name also makes some people feel pride because it honors a well-regarded local figure in the black community (connotation). Others see the name Sistrunk as having negative connotations because of its history of blight and crime. For some in the community, that which we call a rose, by any other name does not smell as sweet.
The noun connotation refers to the
implied meaning or association of a word or phrase apart from the thing it
explicitly identifies.
A connotation can be positive
or negative. Verb: connote.
Adjective: connotative.
Examples
- "The
southern accent was
the primary identifying mark of the hillbilly; the term has a definite
regional connotation.
. . . The term also suggested that those to whom it was applied had a
rural origin; this connotation persists
in later descriptions of the hillbillies. Most important, it had a
definite class connotation."
(Lewis M. Killian, White Southerners, rev. ed. University of Massachusetts Press, 1985)
- "You
do realize that saying 'we need to talk' to your girlfriend has
ominous connotations?"
(Kay Panabaker as Daphne Powell in the television program No Ordinary Family,2011)
- "The
denotation
of a word is its prescribed, dictionary-type definition. For example, the
sentence you just read gives you the denotation of the word denotation, because it
told you its definition."
(David Rush, A Student Guide to Play Analysis. Southern Illinois University Press, 2005
The Relative Weight of Denotative and
Connotative Meanings
"Individual words vary
considerably in the relative weight of their denotative and connotative
meanings. Most technical terms, for example, have very little connotation. That
is their virtue: they denote an entity or concept precisely and unambiguously
without the possible confusion engendered by fringe meanings: diode, spinnaker, cosine. We may
think of such words as small and compact--all nucleus, so to speak. . . .
"Connotation looms larger than denotation in other cases. Some words have large and diffuse meanings. What matters is their secondary or suggestive meanings, not their relatively unimportant denotations. The expression old-fashioned, for instance, hauls a heavy load of connotations. It denotes 'belonging to, or characteristic of, the past.' But far more important than that central meaning is the connotation, or rather two quite different connotations, that have gathered about the nucleus: (1) 'valuable, worthy of honor and emulation' and (2) 'foolish, ridiculous, out-of-date; to be avoided.' With such words the large outer, or connotative, circle is significant; the nucleus small and insignificant."
(Thomas S. Kane, The New Oxford Guide to Writing. Oxford University Press, 1988)
The term 'connotation' is used to refer to the socio-cultural and 'personal' associations (ideological, emotional, etc.) of the sign. These are typically related to the interpreter's class, age, gender, ethnicity and so on. Connotation is thus context-dependent."
(Daniel Chandler, Semiotics: The Basics, 2nd ed. Routledge, 2007)
Connotation refers to the
emotional implications and associations that a word
may carry, in contrast to its denotative (or literal) meanings. Verb: connote. Adjective:
connotative.
Also called intension
or sense.
The connotation of a word can be positive, negative, or neutral. It can also be either cultural or personal. Here's an example:
To most people
the word cruise
connotes--suggests--a delightful holiday; thus its cultural connotation is
positive. If you get seasick, however, the word may connote only discomfort to
you; your personal connotation is negative.
(Vocabulary by Doing, 2001)
(Vocabulary by Doing, 2001)
In his book Patterns
and Meanings (1998), Alan Partington observes that connotation is a
"problem area" for learners of a language: "Because it is
an important mechanism for the expression of attitude, it is of paramount
importance that learners be aware of it in order to grasp the illocutionary intent of messages."
The terms, denotation and connotation, are used to convey and distinguish between two different kinds of meanings or extensions of a word. A denotation is the strict, literal, definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color. The connotation of a word or term adds elements of emotion, attitude, or color. The meaning or use of denotation and connotation depends partly on the field of study.
