The Meaning of Meanings

Communication Theory

1. The Meaning
of Meaning
A STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF
LANGUAGE UPON
THOUGHT AND OF THE SCIENCE
OF SYMBOLISM (1923)
I.A Richards

2. Ivor Armstrong Richards (26 February 1893 in 
Sandbach, Cheshire – 7 September 1979 in Cambridge)
was an influential English literary critic and rhetorician. He
was educated at Magdalene College, Cambridge

where
his love of English was nurtured by the scholar 'Cabby'
Spence. His books, especially The Meaning of Meaning
, Principles of Literary Criticism, Practical Criticism, and The
Philosophy of Rhetoric, proved to be founding influences
for the New Criticism. The concept of 'practical criticism'
led in time to the practices of close reading, what is often
thought of as the beginning of modern literary criticism.
Richards is regularly considered one of the founders of
the contemporary study of literature in English.

3. In The Meaning of Meaning: A Study of
the Influence of Language upon
Thought and of the Science of
Symbolism, Richards and Odgen
work out the triadic theory of semiotics
which, in its dependence on
psychological theories, prefigures the
importance of psychology in Richards
independently authored literary
criticism.

5. Define “Meaning”?
 ~ Something that is conveyed or
signified; sense or significance.
~ What is meant by a word, text,
concept, or action.
~ The sense or significance of a word,
sentence, symbol.
~ The inner, symbolic, or true
interpretation, value, or message
~ A valid content.
Dictionary Term

8. THE “PROPER MEANING” SUPERSTITION
-The false belief that every word has a precise,
“correct meaning”.
Words
+ Different People
& Different Situations
= Different Meanings
I.A. Richards

9. A classic theory in semantics (the study of meaning
and
Semiotics (the study of signs)
Focus on meaning instead of information- what the
message
Means versus how much information it transmits.
Assumes Understanding is the goal of communication
And communication problems involve
misunderstanding.
Explains how the misuse of Symbolic language causes
Misunderstanding and offers remedies.

10. THE SEMANTIC
TRIANGLE
PICTURING THE
PROBLEM
The indirect relationship
between symbols and their
supposed referents.

11. The Linguistic
Remedies for
Misunderstanding
1.Definition
2. Metaphor
3. Feedforward
4. Basic English