A Semantic Analysis of Psalm 51
CHAPTER ONE
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This study aims at exploring the message in Psalm 51 through a semantic theoretical framework. It is embarked upon to identify the meanings and the intentions of the user of those words in Psalms 51. It is also intended to bring out the wealth of meaning in the Psalm and to show how the psalmist logically selects his words to plead with God for forgiveness.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
This chapter will seek to review appropriate and relevant literature. In view of the fact that semantics is the central subject of this study, this chapter briefly reviews definitions of semantics, seven types of meaning and some theories of meaning.
DEFINITIONS OF SEMANTICS
Leech (1974) asserts that
Semantics, the study of meaning, is central to the study of communication, and as communication becomes more and more a crucial factor in social organization, the need to understand it becomes more and more pressing. Semantics is also at the centre of the study of the human mind-thought processes; cognition and conceptualizations. All these are intricately bound up with the way in which we classify and covey our experience of the world through language.
Katz (1972, p11) submits that “the meaning of an expression will be meaningful just in case it refers to something”. He explained further that expressions will have the same meaning only if such expressions are referring to the same thing. Katz’s definition can be said to be a clear and straightforward definition. The definition imply that our expressions or utterances shall be meaningful only when they are referring to a particular thing. Palmer (2001, p1) says semantics is the technical term used to refer to the study of meaning and since meaning is a part of language, semantics is part of linguistics.
Saeed (2009, p3) says semantics is the study of meaning communicated through language. Lobner (2002, p3) has a similar view. To him, semantics is the part of linguistics that is concerned with meaning. In the above definition of Saeed, we can deduce that before any meaning can be given or read to any utterance, communication must have taken place.
Babatunde (1995, p1) refers to semantics as “the study of meaning that seeks to covey and classify human experience through language”. We can draw from this definition by Babatunde that expressions are used to refer and efforts are made to enable the hearer to perceive the reference and the overall mode of referring “Getting the overall meaning is certainly the concern of semantics” (Babatunde 1995, p2). In light of the above definitions, we want to briefly examine seven types of meaning, which shall be used in chapter three as tools for our data analysis.
CHAPTER THREE
INTRODUCTION
The focus of this chapter is the analysis of our text, i.e. Psalm 51. The entire chapter is divided into nineteen verses, which shall form our data of analysis.
CHAPTER FOUR
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we shall summarize the research work, coupled with findings generated from the analysis. We shall also give the conclusion of the work, which derives from the findings.
SUMMARY
Chapter one discusses the general background of the study, the aims of the study; the justification of the study and methodology of data collection. It is also in this chapter we talks briefly about the version of the bible we are using and the ‘Book’ of Psalms itself.
CONCLUSION
In essence, semantics has really helped us to bring out the wealth of meaning in Psalm 51 and the conceptual system of the Psalmist. The significance of this Psalm is one that helped us to discover that not just any utterance can be taken or accepted the way it is uttered but, if careful attention is given to such an utterance one will be able to deduce more meaning from it.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Babatunde, S. T. (1995), An Introduction to Meaning in English as a Second Language. Unpublished Manuscript.
- Babatunde, S. T. (1999) “Towards Defining the Scope of Meaning in English in Nigeria” In Adegbija, E. (Ed): An Introductory Handbook, Ilorin. The Department of Modern European Language, University of Ilorin.
- Crystal, D. (1991), A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics. Oxford: Basic Blackwell
- Crystal, (1987) “Proverbs” The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. Cambridge University Press.
- Fodor, J. D. & Katz, J. (1964). The Structure of Language Reading in the Philosophy of Language. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc.
- Fordor, J. O. (1982) “Semantics” Theories of Meaning in Generative Grammar. Massachusetts Harvard University Press, Cambridge.
- Goddard, C. (1998), A Semantic Analysis; A Practical Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Katz, J. (1972) Semantic Theory. (Harper International Edition). New York: Harper and Row Publishers.
