Connotation

“When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less.” **//-- Humpty Dumpty //** 
 * Connotation **

__ **Table of Contents ** __ **1.Connotation vs Denotation **
 * u ****Definition **
 * u ****Example1-9 **


 * 2.In logic and Semantics **
 * u ****Osgood’s “Semantic Differential” **


 * 3.Usage of Connotation in Writing **
 * u ****Example1-6 **


 * 4.Exercises **
 * u ****Exercise1-2 **
 * u ****Some External Links of Exercises **


 * 5.References **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">6.External Links **

=**<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 27px;">1.Connotation ****<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 27px;">vs ****<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 27px;"> Denotation **=

<span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">The relationship between words and meanings is extremely complicated, and belongs to the field of **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 27px;">semantics **<span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">. For now, though, what you need to know is that words do not have single, simple meanings. Traditionally, grammarians have referred to the meanings of words in two parts:

**<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 27px;">1.1 Definitions ** **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 29px;">1.2 Examples ** **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Example 1 **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';"> (4) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The denotation of this example is a red [|rose] with a green [|stem]. The connotation is that it is a **symbol** of passion and love - this is what the rose represents. || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The denotation is a brown cross. The connotation is a **symbol** of [|religion], according to the media connotation. However, to be more specific this is a **symbol** of Christianity. || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The denotation is a [|representation] of a cartoon heart. The connotation is a **symbol** of love and affection, not in the way of a rose, but a symbol of true love and people making love together. || **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Exaple 2 ** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Connotation in **//a Tim McGraw song//** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">“Back When” <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Chorus: <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Back when a **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 15px;">hoe **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';"> was a hoe 1 **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Coke **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';"> was a coke 2And **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 15px;">crack's **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';"> what you were doingWhen you were cracking jokesBack when a screw was a **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 15px;">screw ****<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 15px;">3 **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">The wind was all that **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 15px;">blew **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">And when you said I'm down with thatWell it meant you had the fluI miss back whenI miss back whenI miss back when <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">…I'm readin' Street Slang For DummiesCause they put pop in my countryI want more for my moneyThe way it was back then <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">1When someone calls you a ‘ho’ you don’t expect to see a gardening tool the next time you look in the mirror… <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">2 I, just like Tim, once thought coke was something that you drank, either in the red can or the silver can that indicated the diet variety… <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">3I buy screws at the hardware store but I guess they can be purchased other places these days… **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Example 3 **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">(5) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Take the word “skinny,” for example. Its denotation is “thin.” However, its connotation is somewhat unpleasant: It can have a negative implication in regard to the person or thing it describes. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Ex. Sherry is so skinny. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">In the above example the reader, knowing the denotation of “skinny,” can figure out that Sherry is thin. However, the reader may pick up a negative vibe from this word also. “Skinny” seems negative when used in this instance. It leads the reader to think that the writer is insulting Sherry—Sherry looks malnourished, Sherry looks emaciated, Sherry is too thin. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Ex. Sherry is svelte. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">This illustration replaces a word that has a negative connotation with a word that has a more positive connotation. The reader could infer that the writer is complimenting Sherry—Sherry is slender, Sherry is in good shape, Sherry is nice looking. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Ex. I bought a cheap car last week. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Here the writer is suggesting, deliberately or not, to his or her audience that he or she bought an inferior vehicle. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Ex. I bought an inexpensive car last week. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The word “cheap” has been replaced with “inexpensive,” which has a less negative connotation attached to it. In this revised sentence, the writer is perhaps trying to say that he or she bought a practical, reasonably priced vehicle. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Here are some other words that tend to carry negative connotations, followed by synonyms that have more positive connotations: <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Stingy……….Frugal <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Odor………..Aroma <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Pushy……….Aggressive <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Outdated……Antique <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Hobo………..Homeless person <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Ignorant……..Uneducated **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Example 4 **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;">(6) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Dictionaries usually give a word's denotations, but are often less useful in revealing connotations; a good writer, though, will be conscious of the hidden meanings carried by every word. Think, for instance, about the phrases //make love//, //have intercourse//, //make whoopie//, //copulate//, //mate//, and //screw//— they all refer to the same act, but they're not at all interchangeable; when you need to refer to the act, you have to figure out which set of associations will have the desired effect on your audience.By the way, I'm very fond of Farmer & Henley's Historical Dictionary of Slang, which offers some more creative options, sadly neglected today: //to dance the blanket hornpipe//, //under-petticoating//, //to perform the act of androgynation//, //to do jumble-giblets//, //to have a wollop-in//, //to dive in the dark//, //to Adam and Eve it//, //to strop one's beak//, //to make the beast with two backs//— that last one's Shakespeare's.   **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Example 5 ** **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Denotation： ** **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Connotation ** **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Example 6 ** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program (7) **//<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Improving Vocabulary //** **//<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Word Connotation and Denotation //** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The choice of words often reveals a writer’s attitude toward a subject. **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Example: ** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The boy seemed very **youthful.** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The boy seemed very **immature.** **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Immature **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';"> suggests that the boy is childish and juvenile. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Using that word makes it clear that the writer’s attitude is negative. **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Youthful **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';"> just suggests he is young. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Let’s take a look at the words: **trip** and **vacation.** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Both words have similar denotations, but vacation has an extra level of meaning. <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">It makes us feel a sense of **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 15px;">freedom, relaxation, and fun. **  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Understanding connotations is important because some words have similar denotations but **opposite connotations.** **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">POSITIVE CONNOTATIONS: The city was //bustling// with people during the holiday. **   **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">NEGATIVE **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';"> **CONNOTATIONS**: **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">The city was //mobbed// with people during the holiday. **  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">In these examples, the words //bustling// and //mobbed// both mean “filled.” <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">However, **bustling** suggests a positive feeling of energy and excitement, while **mobbed** suggests a feeling of overcrowding and restricted movement. **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Example 7 **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;">(7) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The connotation of some words - or the attitudes we associate with them - can be seen in these pairs of words that are similar in meaning, but different in the **positive or negative attitudes** they evoke in most people. **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Positive Connotation: ** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The **child** **held tightly** to his mother. **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Negative Connotation: ** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The **kid hung onto** his mother. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The words **child** and **held tightly** sound more sensitive and compassionate than **kid** and **hung onto.** **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Positive Connotation: ** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The doctor gave the child an **injection.** **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Negative Connotation: ** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The doctor gave the child a **shot.** **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Example ****<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;"> 8 **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 15px;">(7) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">If you look up the words **house** and **home** in a dictionary, you’d find that both words have almost the same meaning - **"a dwelling place."** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">However, the expression above suggests that home has an additional meaning. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The feelings, images, and memories that surround a word make up its **//connotation.//** Why do you think that real estate advertisers use the word **home** more frequently than **house**? <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The glass has **shattered.** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The glass has **cracked.** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Both words mean “broken,” but have different connotations. Cracked is less severe than shattered. Shattered implies being broken violently into many pieces and beyond repair. Cracked implies it’s not completely destroyed. **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Example ****<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">9 **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;">(8) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Chandler on SIGNS <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">a '**signifier**' is the //form// which the sign takes; and <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">the '**signified**‘ is the //concept// it represents.
 * || **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 27px;">denotation **  ||  **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 27px;">connotation **  ||
 * <span style="color: #353535; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">DavidMegginson, <span style="color: #353535; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">”Connotations and Denotations” (1)  || <span style="color: #353535; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">a literal meaning of the word  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">dictionary definition  || <span style="color: #353535; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">an association (emotional or otherwise) which the word evokes  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Implied or suggested underlying meaning, based on cultural contexts  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Definitionsaccording to //Merriam-Webster// || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">1 : an act or process of [|denoting] 2 : [|MEANING] ; //especially// : a direct specific meaning as distinct from an implied or associated idea3 a : a [|denoting] term : [|NAME] b : [|SIGN], [|INDICATION] <visible //denotations// of divine wrath>4 : the totality of things to which a term is applicable especially in logic  || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">1 a : the suggesting of a meaning by a word apart from the thing it explicitly names or describes b : something suggested by a word or thing : [|IMPLICATION] <the //connotations// of comfort that surrounded that old chair>2 : the signification of something <that abuse of logic which consists in moving counters about as if they were known entities with a fixed //connotation// -- W. R. Inge>3 : an essential property or group of properties of a thing named by a term in logic  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Shead, Jackie. “The meaning of meaning: Jackie Shead considers the public and personal domains of meaning.” //The English Review//. 16.4, p.13. || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">the referential relationship between the sign itself and the reality it points to  || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">the associations and values attached to the word, which can be personal and/or public  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Chandler, Daniel. “Semiotics for Beginners.”(2) || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">“the definitional, ‘literal’, ‘obvious’ or ‘commonsense’ meaning of a sign”  || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">the socio-cultural and ‘personal’ associations of the sign [related to interpreter  ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Control Over Connotation is //Essential// ****<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">(3) ** ||  **//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">"Denotation //**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">, also known as **__cognitive__** meaning, refers to the direct relationship between a term and the object, idea, or action it designates. . . .   ||  **//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">"Connotation //**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">, also known as **__affective__** meaning, refers to the emotive or associational aspect of a term." (McArthur, T. //The Oxford Companion to the English Language//. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992)   ||
 * **//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">A vivid illusion of the Distinction between Denotation & Connotation //** [[image:http://connotative.com/images/026_W__P_S_C.gif width="295" height="399" caption="026_W_& P_S_C.jpg (23046 bytes)"]] ||
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Cartoony_red_rose.svg/100px-Cartoony_red_rose.svg.png width="100" height="118" caption="Example one." link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cartoony_red_rose.svg"]]
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Cartoony_cross.svg/100px-Cartoony_cross.svg.png width="100" height="118" caption="Example two." link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cartoony_cross.svg"]]
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Cartoony_heart.svg/100px-Cartoony_heart.svg.png width="100" height="118" caption="Example seven ." link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cartoony_heart.svg"]]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">refreshing – chilly
 * <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">plain – natural
 * <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">clever – sly
 * <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">snob – cultured
 * <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">cop – officer
 * <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">skinny – slender



**<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Some other examples: ** <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">For example, a stubborn person may be described as being either strong-willed or pig-headed; although these have the same literal meaning (i.e. stubborn), strong-willed connotes admiration for the level of someone's will (a positive connotation), while pig-headed connotes frustration in dealing with someone (a negative connotation).(9) <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Innocent and genuine both denote an absence of corruption, but the connotations of the two words are different: innocent is often associated with a lack of experience, whereas genuine is not. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">An example is the different associations brought up by the words pride and arrogance. While the two words have similar meanings, pride is generally has positive associations while arrogance carries negative associations. (10) = =   **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 29px;">2. In logic and Semantics ** <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">In logic and semantics, connotation' is roughly synonymous with intension. Connotation is often contrasted with denotation, which is more or less synonymous with extension. Alternatively, the connotation of the word may be thought of as the set of all its possible referents (as opposed to merely the actual ones). A word's denotation is the collection of things it refers to; its connotation is what it implies about the things it is used to refer to. The denotation of dog is (something like) four-legged canine carnivore. So saying "you are a dog" would imply that you were ugly or aggressive rather than stating that you were canine. Moreover, connotation especially depends on the audience. The word "dog" denotes any animal from the genus canis, but it may connote friendship to one reader and terror to another. This partly depends on the reader's personal dealings with dogs, but the author can provide context to guide the reader's interpretation. (9)   **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 21px;">2.1 Osgood’s “Semantic Differential” **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 15px;">(11) u <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Measured the dimension of meaning we call CONNOTATION u <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Concerned with semantics u <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Plotted differences between individuals’ connotations for words <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">“Subjects were given a word, for example 'car' and presented with a variety of adjectives to describe it. The adjectives were presented at either end of a seven-point scale, ranging from, say, 'good' to 'bad' or from 'fast' to 'slow'. In this way, he was able to draw up a 'map' of people's connotations for a given word.” <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Like the picture here shows: <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Osgood’s map of people’s **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 15px;">connotations for the word ‘polite’ **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">showing **10 scales** used by Osgood. The map shows the average responses of 2 groups of 20 subjects. **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 24px;">3. Usage of Connotation in Writing **


 * ~  ||~   u **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">"No one can write with color, force, and persuasiveness without control over connotation." **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';"> (Weaver, R.M. //A Rhetoric and Composition Handbook//. New York, NY: William Morrow & Co., 1974.)   ||

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">From three quotations above, we can see that using connotation in writing is an essential skill for academic writing learner. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Writers have always been sensitive to the emotional power of words. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Writers who wish to create a more emotional response in their readers will choose words with a stronger connotation. **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Example 1 ** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Let’s say you want to describe someone. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The first word that comes to your mind is **loud.** //<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Loud can describe many things, from sounds to people to colors. //  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Now, you have to decide if loud is the best word to use in this situation. **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">loud **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">//adjective// <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Choose another to replace the original one could be much better. **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Example 2 ** <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">For example, both "woman" and "chick" have the denotation "adult female" in North American society, but "chick" has somewhat negative connotations, while "woman" is neutral. <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">For another example of connotations, consider the following: __ **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">negative ** __ __<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">There are over 2,000 **vagrants** in the city. __ __ **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">neutral ** __ __<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">There are over 2,000 **people with no fixed address** in the city. __ __ **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">positive ** __ __<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">There are over 2,000 **homeless** in the city. __ <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">All three of these expressions refer to exactly the same people, but they will invoke different associations in the reader's mind: a "vagrant" is a public nuisance while a "homeless" person is a worthy object of pity and charity. <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Presumably, **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 15px;"> someone writing an editorial in support of a new shelter would use the ****<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;">positive ****<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 15px;"> form, while someone writing an editorial in support of anti-loitering laws would use the negative form. **  <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">In this case, the dry legal expression "with no fixed address" quite deliberately avoids most of the positive or negative associations of the other two terms -- a legal specialist will try to avoid connotative language altogether when writing legislation, often resorting to archaic Latin or French terms which are not a part of ordinary spoken English, and thus, relatively free of strong emotional associations. <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Many of the most obvious changes in the English language over the past few decades have had to do with the connotations of words which refer to groups of people. Since the 1950's, words like "Negro" and "crippled" have acquired strong negative connotations, and have been replaced either by words with neutral connotations (ie "black," "handicapped") or by words with deliberately positive connotations (ie "African-Canadian," "differently-abled").
 * ~  ||~   u **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">"Skill in using the emotional appeal of connotation is essential in any writing designed to persuade, convince, anger, inspire, or soothe a reader." **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';"> (McCrimmon, J.M. //Writing with a Purpose//. Cambridge, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1950.)   ||
 * ~  ||~   u **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">"In most contexts, denotation is less important than attitude, implied emotional stance, or tone." **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';"> (Jerome, J. //The Poet and the Poem//. Cincinnati, OH: Writer’s Digest Books, 1979.)   ||
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">marked by extremely high volume: earsplitting, deafening, roaring
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">tastelessly showy: chintzy, flashy, gaudy, tacky, garish
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">offensive in manner: unpleasant, aggressive, distasteful (7)

<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">That is why we need to study connotation to avoid showing aggressiveness in writing.

**<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Example 3 **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 15px;"> (12)   **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Understanding Connotation and Denotation ** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">In language, it is possible to say one thing and mean another. It is also possible for words to carry many different shades of meaning. For example, words can "mean" on both denotative and connotative levels. To denote is to signify directly; denotative meaning is literal meaning. To connote is to signify something beyond the literal meaning. In your writing, you must pay attention not only to what your words denote, but also to what they connote. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Consider the following list of words: car, auto, sedan, coupe, junker, rig, jalopy, heap. Do they mean the same thing or different things? On what level do they mean the same thing? <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">For example, consider the following sets of words that denote the same thing, but connote different things and the sentences you get by filling in the blanks with each term in the sentence-templates that follow: u <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">We went down to the. [tavern / pub /bar / dive ] u <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">He was _. [between careers / out of work / on welfare / a bum ] u <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Her prose style was __.[direct / simple / simplistic ]__ <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">How much information does the sentence "We went down to the tavern" contain compared to "We went to the bar."? Is it OK to say "I like hanging out in dives"? Call your friend's prose-style "simplistic" to her face? <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Rule of thumb __<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">: Expressive, highly charged connotative meanings make your writing both more interesting and more meaningful but can lead you to convey meanings that you didn't intend (or probably should have kept hidden). Also, connotation must be kept as consistent as any nitpicky grammatical thing like verb tenses and such. __  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Consider the following opening sentences from a paper on smoking laws: u <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">"Pity the lost smoker, shut out from the best restaurants in the land." u <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">"Smokers are a dying breed." u <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">"When New York City enacted its anti-smoking ordinances in 1994, thousands-- maybe millions-- of smokers suddenly found themselves unable to enjoy the pleasure of a cigarette after a good meal." <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">What would you expect of the papers to follow? Would they be factual and objective, or sarcastic, or sympathetic? Does any limit you more than the others? **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Example 4 **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 15px;">(13) **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Word Choice: A Dog is not a Pooch ** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Denotation means the literal or dictionary definition of a word. Connotation, on the other hand, describes the feelings, associations, and suggestions that a word invokes. Writers quickly learn that words with the same denotation often carry very different connotations. A large part of the art of writing lies in choosing words that convey the perfect connotation along with the correct denotation. For example, if I use the word "dog" in a sentence, it carries a very different feeling than if I use the word "pooch". To understand this difference more clearly, use your dictionary to look up the word "administration" (as in "the Clinton administration") and the word "regime" (as in "the Clinton regime"). This exercise is meant to strengthen your understanding of the impact of connotation and help you select the best words in your writing. **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Example 5 **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;">(14) **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Denotation //versus// Connotation ** **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Denotative Language and Audience **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">The words a writer selects relate directly to the audience. At the denotative level, an audience understands only language that relates to its knowledge and experience. Familiar language speaks to everyone. Specialized words from medicine, law, theology, and literary criticism speak to doctors, lawyers, theologians, and critics. Precise language that shuns emotional colorations speaks to logical and reasonable people, regardless of profession. **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Connotative Language and Audience **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Language is not denotative only; it possesses the capacity to mean beyond the symbolic equivalency to object, action, idea, and relationship. As coin of the realm, words pass from hand to hand, acquiring their own patina. Not just ten cents, dime says cheap, like dime candy. "Give me a dime" asks for a handout. Language's connotative meaning refers to the patina, the social meaning words acquire through use. At the connotative level, language evokes the audience's emotional associations. When a writer uses highly connotative language, he appeals more to his audience's emotion than to its reason.We can see the impact of connotative language in today's highly volatile and emotional abortion controversy. According to the Oxford English Dictionary__, when the word //abortion// entered the English language in the sixteenth century it meant any premature delivery of a child. The word's use soon extended beyond the domestic arena to refer to anything "born before its time." In the seventeenth century the word's use shifted to the "imperfect offspring of an untimely birth." Since medicine and midwifery were, at best, rough practices, children born early were often disfigured. As a consequence //abortion// came to mean something disfigured--a monstrosity. Today //abort// still denotes ending anything, particularly a pregnancy, prematurely. For some, //abort// still carries the connotation of disfigurement and monstrosity. Those who favor abortion, then, not only favor ending pregnancy, they favor monstrosity. With the weight of this negative connotative meaning, those who favor legal medical termination of pregnancy, refer to themselves as //pro-choice//. Even the anti-abortion groups avoid the word; they are not anti-//abortion// but //pro-life//.Connotative language also reflects social, racial, political, or religious stereotypes. When a writer's language relies on these connotations, he expects his audience to share the beliefs at the stereotype's center. A writer referring to liberals as "bleeding hearts" or even "idealists" and conservatives as "hard-minded" communicates not only his own bias, but his expectation that the audience shares his bias. **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Example 6 **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">(9) **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Usage ** <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Within today's society, connotation branches into a mixture of different meanings. These could include the contrast of a word or phrase with its primary, literal meaning (known as a denotation), with what that word or phrase specifically denotes. The connotation essentially relates to how anything may be associated with a word or phrase, for example, an implied value judgment or feelings. <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">It is often useful to avoid words with strong connotations (especially disparaging ones) when striving to achieve a neutral point of view. A desire for more positive connotations, or fewer negative ones, is one of the main reasons for using euphemisms. <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Deliberate use of connotation may involve selection of a word to convey more than its dictionary meaning, or substitution of another word that has a different shade of meaning. The many words for dogs have a spectrum of implications regarding the dog's training, obedience, or expected role, and may even make a statement about the social status of its owner ("lap dog" versus "cur"). Even synonyms have different connotations: slender, thin, skinny may each convey different images to the reader's mind. The writer should choose the connotation, positive, negative, or neutral, that supports the mood.

**<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">W ****<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">ord ****<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';"> C ****<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">ho ****<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">i ****<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">ce ** <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Writing for the learned, connotation may involve etymology or make reference to classic works. In schoolbooks, awareness of connotation can avoid attracting extraneous ideas (as when writing "Napoleon was a bigger influence than Frederick the Great on world history" provokes thoughts of Napoleon's physical stature). In encyclopedias, words should connote authority and dispassion; the writer should avoid words whose connotations suggest bias, such as pejorative words. **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 27px;">4. Exercises ** **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Exercise 1 ****<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">(15) **

**<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Test Your Knowledge ** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">by Kelli Trungale **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Exercise 2 ** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Exercises from Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program(7) **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Which words have a more positive connotation? **  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">1 <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Every October the old maple (paints, litters) the lawn with its falling leaves. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The girl ran (courageously, recklessly) into the flaming barn to save her colt. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">We walked at a (leisurely, sluggish) pace. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Answer: <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Every October the old maple **paints** the lawn with its falling leaves. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The girl ran **courageously** into the flaming barn to save her colt. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">We walked at a **leisurely** pace. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">2 <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The man and woman were retired and living on a fixed income, which forced them to be very - <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">A. generous. B. cheap. C. careless. D. thrifty. Answer: D **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Cheap **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';"> and **thrifty** have close to the same dictionary meaning. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">However, the connotation of the word **cheap** is so different. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">It’s almost like a criticism, while **thrifty** seems more like a natural description of a way someone is forced to live and implies a wise or careful use of what’s available. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">3 <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Choose the word below that suggests a more **positive** connotation. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The portions at the restaurant were - A.<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">sufficient <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">B. adequate <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Answer: A   <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">However –**Sufficient** suggests exactly what is needed. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">While the word **adequate** implies barely enough. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">4 <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Hector was a _ teenager whose arms and legs seemed to get in his own way. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Which of the following words has a less flattering or more negative connotation?
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Test your understanding by choosing the word with the more **positive** connotation in each of the following sentences. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">1. Many business professionals and amateurs alike have (invested/gambled) on Wall Street and have made millions of dollars.  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">2. Jenny (smirked/smiled) when her son showed her all of the A’s on his report card.  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">3. Teresa’s peers admire her (unique/weird) sense of fashion.  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Now test your understanding by choosing the word(s) with the more **negative** connotation in each of the following sentences.  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">4. The (newshounds/journalists) can’t seem to get enough of the Michael Jackson trial.  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">5. The bingo hall down the street is always full of (spinsters/unmarried women).  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">6. Harry was (terminated/canned) from his job yesterday.   **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Answers **  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">1. Many business professionals and amateurs alike have **invested** on Wall Street and have made millions of dollars.  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">2. Jenny **smiled** when her son showed her all of the A’s on his report card.  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">3. Teresa’s peers admire her **unique** sense of fashion.  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">4. The **newshounds** can’t seem to get enough of the Michael Jackson trial.  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">5. The bingo hall down the street is always full of **spinsters**.  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">6. Harry was **canned** from his job yesterday.  ||

A.<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">tall <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">B.gangling  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Answer: B   <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The word **gangling** implies that someone is very tall and usually awkward. **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Tall **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';"> just implies having greater than ordinary height. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">5 <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">There is nothing wrong with the **old** hotels in Las Vegas. However, many hotels are **antiquated** and should be replaced. Which of the following words has a more positive connotation? <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">A. old <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">B. antiquated <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Answer: A  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The word **antiquated** suggests the hotels are old-fashioned and out of date. **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Old **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';"> merely suggests they’ve been around for a long time. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">6 <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The audience ___ when the master of ceremonies introduced the singer by the wrong name.__ <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Which of the following words has a less flattering or more negative connotation? A.<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">snickered <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">B. chuckled <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Answer: A  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The word **snicker** suggests laughing //at// someone in a smirking, unkind way//.//   **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">Chuckle **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">suggests a more good natured type of laughter //with// someone. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">7 <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">My neighbor is always dressed when she goes out. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Which of the following words has a **more flattering** connotation?

A.<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">nicely <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">B.impeccably <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">Answer: B <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">The word impeccable suggests flawless, elegant, and close to perfect. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">While the word nice is also a compliment, it suggests neat, presentable, and suitable and is not quite as strong. **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 21px;">4.2 Some external Links of Exercises ** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">1.The Hidden Power of Connotations  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">See Exercise 1-7  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">[]  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">2.Understanding Language  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">A **thesaurus** can help you find just the right word with just the right connotation to develop tone in your writing. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">[] <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">3.Writing for New Media: Image Connotation/Denotation exercise  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">www.curragh-labs.org/teaching/f05/3801/20051102.shtml **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Improve your writing skill of word choice and using connotations with those tests and exercises! **  **<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 27px;">5. Reference **  <span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">(1)David Megginson, ”Connotations and Denotations” <span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">[] __<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">May 25th, 2011 __  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">(2) []  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">(3) http://www.writing.ws/ __ <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">(4)[]

<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">(5) []

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">(6) @http://ethnicity.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/d.html

<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">(7)[] <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">(8) Chandler, Daniel. “Semiotics for Beginners.” [].

<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">(9)[]

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">(10) []

<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif';">(11)“Osgood and Semantic Differential.” []

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">(12) [] <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">(13) [] <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">(14)[] <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">(15) [] <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">(1)[] <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; text-align: left;">(2)[]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 27px;">6. External Links **