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Associative
Meaning
refers
to
the
particular
qualities
or
characteristics
beyond denotative meaning that people commonly think of (correctly or incorrectly) in relation
to a word or phrase (Nordquist, 2016). Associative meaning is based on the associationist theory
of psychology. It refers to mental corrections that arise when referential meaning comes to mind.
As the referential meaning may arouse different mental connections, associative meaning can be
further classified (Types of associative meaning, n.d.).
In his book entitled Semantics: The Study of Meaning , British linguist Geoffrey Leech
(1981) introduced the term associative meaning to refer to the various types of meaning that are
distinct from denotation (or conceptual meaning): connotative, thematic, social, affective,
reflective, and collocative.
Connotative meaning is the communicative value an expression has by virtue of what it
refers to (Leech, 1981, p 12). It embraces the properties of the referent and is, therefore,
peripheral (Types of, n.d.).
Thematic meaning concerns itself with how the order of words spoken affects the
meaning that is entailed (Mwihaki, 2004).
Social meaning (sometimes termed stylistic meaning) is what is conveyed about the
social circumstances of the use of a linguistic expression, including regional or/and social
overtones and formality (Types of, n.d.).
That the associative meaning employed in all of the foregoing examples subscribe to the
principles of connotation should not come as surprising since the semantic analyses on the matter
all point to a historical reference. It has been suggested The Twelve Days of Christmas lyrics
were intended as a catechism song to help young Catholics learn their faith, at those times when
practicing Catholicism was criminal act (McKellar, 1994; David, 2011; Scott, 2013; Gilhooley,
1987; Gilhooley, 1992). The association of meaning therefore exists within the periphery of
religion and faith.
At any rate, awareness of the existence of these types of associative meaning is important
in the correct use of words. In writing and translation, knowledge of associative meaning directly
affects communication. Whether the communicator means to be polite or rude, formal or
informal, directly determines the choice of words. And the appropriate use of a word is based on
the mastery of all types of meaning.
References:
David, E. (2011). The Twelve Days of Christmas. Retrieved on April 22, 2016 at 10:32pm from About.com
Gilhooley, J. (1987). Letter to the Editor: True Love Revealed. Retrieved April 22, 2016 from nytimes.com.
Gilhooley, J. (1992). Those Wily Jesuits: If you think The Twelve Days of Christmas'is just a song, think again.
Our Sunday Visitor, 81(34), 20-23.
Leech, G.N. (1981). Semantics: The Study of Meaning. London: Penguin Books.
McKellar, H.D. (1994). The Twelve Days of Christmas. The Hymn 45, 4.
Mwihaki, Alice. (2004). Associative Meaning. In Wikipedia. Retrieved on May 17, 2016 from
Nordquist,
R.
(2016).
Associative
meaning.
Retrieved
on
May
16,
2016
from
http://grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/Associative-Meaning.htm
Scott, R. (2013). What Are the Twelve Days of Christmas? Myths and Reality. Retrieved on April 22, 2016 at
11:02pm from About.com..
Types
of
associative
meaning.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
on
May
17,
2016
http://media.openonline.com.cn/media_file/rm/dongshi2004/yyyyxgl/CHAPTER6/chapter6-3-2.htm
from