University:
California State University, Northridge
Course:
ENGL 301 | Language and Linguistics
Academic year:

2024
Views:

461

Pages:

1
Author:

Lacey Moss

Symbols can have two types of meaning--Denotative and Connotative. • Denotative Meaning is the meaning of an symbol that is shared by a group of people. If you say the word,"dog," most English speakers will point to the same type of animal. Denotative meaning is what makes symbols work for communication. • Connotative Meaning is the meaning of a symbol that is personal to an individual and not shared. For example, when I was a young child, my father was the warden of a small 3 cell prison located in the Montana wasteland near the Canadian border. • The two prison guards, who were generally bored would invite me to play "King" for a day. • I would sit in their chair and then they would put this wired helmet (they called it a crown) on me and then flip this little switch. It was a shocking experience. • Consequently now, when people say to me, "Would you like a chair," I am majorly disgusted. "What's the matter?" they say, "Its only a chair."

"It's Only a Chair": A Guide to Denotation and Connotation

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