9.1.3: Connotations vs. Denotations

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IMPORTANT INFO

Connotation and denotation are not two separate things.
- They are two aspects/elements of a sign, and the connotative meanings of a word exist together with the denotative meanings.
Connotation = the various social overtones, cultural implications, or emotional meanings associated with a sign.
Denotation =the explicit or referential meaning of a sign, the literal meaning of a word, the ‘dictionary definition.’

Consider the difference between these two words:

House/Home
Woman/Chick
Kill/Murder

Joey Writes a Letter…

Denotation vs. Connotation

“Walk” means to move forward by placing one foot in front of the other.

swaggered
strolled
lumbered along
skipped

Which word in each pair below has the more favorable connotation to you?

thrifty-penny-pinching
pushy-aggressive
politician-statesman
chef-cook
slender-skinny

Connotation can depend on the person who hears the word.

Language is continually changing…

Gangsters and thugs= criminals
During the Depression -> Irish, Italian, or other European immigrants associated with the mob
Today -> African-American rap artists

Do these words have positive or negativeconnotations for “drink”?

guzzle
Slurp
Indulge

sip
lap
down

New Team Names

Poodles
Snakes
Maggots
Hippos
Gazelles
Meteors

Sleepers
Zeniths
Toads
Snails
Spikes
Sloths

	Negative	Positive
drug addict	druggie/fiend	substance abuser
handicapped	crippled	disabled
thin	beanpole	slender
attractive	fair	pretty
reporter	newshound	journalist
photographer	paparazzi	shutterbug

Positive or Negative?

refreshing-chilly
plain-natural
clever-sly
cackle-giggle
snob-cultured

cop-officer
skinny-slender
statesman-politician
smile-smirk
domineering-assertive

	Negative	Positive
Over-weight
Short
Not smart
Unattractive
Non-athletic
Self-focused

Consider the following:

There are over 2,000 vagrants in the city.
There are over 2,000 people with no fixed address in the city.
There are over 2,000 homeless in the city.

What’s the Difference?

The media were swarming around the pileup on the expressway to capture every conceivable injury for the evening news.
The journalists were on the scene at the expressway crash to document the incident for the evening news.
Photographers stood patiently along the walkway, awaiting the arrival of the Oscar nominees.
The paparazzi lined the walkway anxiously poised to snap the Oscar nominees.
America's Midwest is often referred to as the heartland by Washington congressmen.
America's Midwest is often referred to as flyover country by DC politicos.

What’s the POINT?

Separating grammatical denotation from connotation is important because while one might assume that a word’s denotation is fully intended, whether a word’s connotations are intended is much more difficult to determine.
Connotations are often emotional in nature, and thus if they are intended, it may be for the purpose of swaying a person’s emotional reactions rather than the logical evaluation of an argument.