#semantic analysis

[howdoesone]

How does one describe the process of compounding in morphology?

Compounding is a morphological process by which two or more individual words are combined to create a new word with its own distinct meaning. This process is used in many languages around the world, and it is an important aspect of word formation in morphology. In this article, we will describe the process of compounding in morphology, including its types, formation, and examples. Continue…

[yanderefairyangel]

I find it very funny that some people try to point at the "I wanted to be a good dragon" as being bad dialogue and proof Engage is badly written when it does the exact opposite.

I know you are tired of hearing it but allow me to repeat it. Just once more. Past Alear is someone who use hiragana, an alphabet use mainly by kids in anime and in jpn media.

That is what makes their dialogue in chapter 24 so unsettling. This shows that Past Alear has the emotional maturity of a child. This is a childish dialogue devoided of emotions, where the characteristic of the hiragana lacking the polysemy of kanji is making this dialogue feels even colder, even more robotic, mecanic, empty, devoided of emotions. Hiragana is used to show how broken past Alear is as a child whose innocence was completely destroyed.

However, in this cutscene of chapter 22, the use of hiragana is no longer to convey this feeling. This time, it's to convey a warm feeling, letting Alear's childish personality of that time shines as them showing their innocent side, their weaker and true side to Lumera. it's them dropping the facade, and finally revealing what they were concealing when we meet them in chapter 24 : an innocent, kind child. You don't even need to turn off Alear's voice and hear how the performance changed to realize that because you can see this from the models. How Past Alear's blank and emotionelss gaze in chapter 24 contrast to the one bright and tender gaze they gave to Lumera in chapter 22. The sentence they speak is no longer intended to be read as emtioneless because of this, because now the property of the hiragana as conveying the childish innocent feeling, like it does with Veyle, is the one aspect exploited in this scene. It's to show Alear's innocence and child like nature, their warmth. This immediately makes their "tadashii ryuu ni naremasen" all the more tragic. They speak this time with the tone matching the undertones of the hiragana, unlike how in the past they used that "childish" dialect with the tone of a robot. In fact, the change of tone in the voice shows the shift in tone despite how Past Alear still uses the same alphabet. All in context.

The same way Past Alear's politness express through the same conjuction and expression as current Alear but have a different nature because of the context, the same way Alear's incantations read as prayers/wish rather then commands/orders because of the context, the use of hiragana's meaning changes because of the context. This is no longer to express a broken child speaking, but to show Past Alear's innocence and to emphazize their love for Lumera by showing how they reveal themselves to her only.

[familyabolisher]

re: this post, where are, for example, ethiopian jews in israel (who are not to my knowledge currently treated well by the israeli government etc, but that may be a different discussion) meant to go if coexistence is not an option? (this is a genuine question—to my knowledge ethiopia is not a safe place for jewish people!)

i was acting on the assumption that the "coexistence" in the post referred to the two-state solution rather than the literal side-by-side existence of 'israeli' jews and palestinians following the decolonisation of palestine;

this is why i balk at people hoping for coexistence. coexistence goes against the very founding strategy of israel. it goes against every principle and long term plan israel has for itself. israelis themselves do not want coexistence, they want gaza flattened and the west bank annexed, they want palestine destroyed and the palestenian people extinct.

^the wording here implies that what's being discussed is a question of 'coexistence' concurrent with the continued existence of so-called 'israel,' hence the noting that 'coexistence' goes against its founding strategy. so what's being refuted seems to be the appeal to 'coexistence' that characterises the two-stater position, or eg. the calls for a ceasefire, both of which call for states by which the colonisation of palestine can continue.

the physical removal of all israelis from palestinian land is not a prerequisite for the decolonisation of palestine, nor is the physical removal of all settlers the prerequisite for the decolonisation of any settler colony. decolonisation is a violent process, yes, and -- as the post notes -- formerly-israeli jews in a decolonised palestine would need to be prepared to accept palestinian sovereignty in a way that many simply are not willing to do at this present moment in time, and i'm not naive enough to believe that the decolonisation of palestine would be a case of peaceful acquiescence on the part of israeli citizens. however, acknowledging the reality of israeli attitudes towards palestinians is v different to regarding all critique of discursive appeals to 'coexistence' as necessarily demanding physical removal, especially when appeals to 'coexistence' tend to discursively communicate a) a reprimanding of palestinians for the 'violence' of their resistance and/or b) the two-stater position. imo it's a critique of a discourse.

from decolonise palestine's piece on the mandate years leading up to the nakba:

This followed a long series of Zionist rejection of overtures by the native Palestinians. In 1928, for example, the Palestinian leadership voted to allow Zionist settlers equal representation in the future bodies of the state, despite them being a minority who had barely just arrived. This was faced with Zionist rejection. Even after this, in 1947 the Palestinians suggested the formation of a unitary state for all those living between the river and the sea to replace the mandate to no avail. There were many attempts at co-existence, but this simply would not have benefited the Zionist leadership who never intended to come to Palestine to live as equals.

obviously, the social conditions of palestine under the british mandate are very different to those today, but i think this contravenes the idea that palestinians are merely braying for jewish blood and seeking to physically remove palestine's jewish population.

[absolutebl]

BL & Critical Analysis

Pop culture critique & a how to do it... or something

This meaty question came from the lovely @huachengeye Thank you!

Codicil: I do not get paid for pop culture critique (although I once wrote book reviews professionally, long story). So I’m entirely a dilettante. 

The Question!

Q1: Can you can shed some light on your process (of critical analysis)

This is a little like training your eye to edit a document (I bet you can tell that's not one my strong points). Or training your mind to look at data and data collection in terms of the results it may yield and what the initial survey says about the questioner's bias (or can bias results).

First, I have to ask... 

Do you really want to train your eye to critique?

Because it will become a lot harder to immerse yourself in a piece of media if you constantly feel obligated to step back mentally and think about it from various perspectives. 

In other words, you may enjoy BL, or all live action dramas, LESS if you try to think about them critically.

I have an intimate who is a pretty well known writer. She mostly writes humorous fiction. She's open about the fact that this means every time she laughs, she stops and thinks about why that happened and whether is could be used in her prose. She never gets to be fully absorbed by narrative ever anymore because her critical eye is always turned on, especially for the written word.

What you may sacrifice for critique, is a certain level of childish wonder. 

I’m not sure i would necessarily advise doing this. 

My Process 

My process is essentially now visible in this blog. As I watch a show I take a few notes on it (which show up in the weeklies) and then at the end I go through those notes, consolidate, try to be witty about it, and write up a review.

The review usually has something about:

characters, tropes, plot 

narrative & story structure & pace

how this BL fits in with the greater BL genre & history

any thoughts I have on the quality of the production, acting, and/or directing 

my own personal feelings about the show

Thus my reviews tend to take into account several criteria.

For #1-2 I have a background in lit crit as an undergrad (and, like I said, I did once review books for a living) so these are kinda ingrained in me. I’m working on seeing the influence of soap operas, fan fic, and non-western story structures as critically valid, so these are the things I’m actively learning more about the most these days. 

For #3: How does this fit into the history of BL? Since I’ve made it point to watch pretty much all BLs, I feel like I’m set up to think and talk about this. AKA the spreadsheet made me do it. But since I also have anthropology in my academic history, I’m very interested in how a BL represents for its country’s BL oeuvre. I try to judge KBLs against other KBLs (and Kdramas) and look for patterns and trends in how that country’s interpretation of what it “means to be BL” shift over time. 

For #4: my IRL job is tangential to the entertainment industry so that’s accidentally trained my eye for film. I don’t know that I like this part about myself, but it’s happened whether I like it or not. And I don’t have a proper background in film critique. 

Final #5: will discuss further in a bit.

Suggestion? Establish A Rating System 

Come up with your own personal 10 star (or 5 star) rating system.

Write it down. Don’t be afraid to modify or adjust it. It’s yours, your tastes change, nothing is set in stone. 

Pick one ideal example BL for each category that you’re very familiar with for your reference point. Then you can ask yourself, after you’ve watched a new one, whether you liked it more, less, or about the same as that show. (relative rating, similar to grading on a curve) 

I change my examples regularly as my taste changes and as new BLs are added. The bar gets shifted, so to speak. 

My Rating System 

Your reasoning for rating a BL will be different from mine, but here’s mine as an example. 

(Also I never feel bound by this, sometimes I give a show a 8/10 just because it feels like that’s what it deserves.) 

10/10 - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - my favorite precious squee!, faithful to tropes, happy ending, good chemistry, few flaws, high rewatch potential, makes me happy, examples: Semantic Error, Until We Meet Again 

9/10 ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED - loved it and good rewatch potential but probably a few pacing issues or one big flaw, still made me feel good/comforted, examples: Cherry Magic, Bad Buddy

8/10 - RECOMMENDED - some concerns around tropes (like dub con) or story structure/filming but still satisfies as BL, moved me emotionally, rewatchable in parts or not rewatchable but important, examples: Love By Chance, Between Us

7/10 - RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS - i.e. isn’t quite BL, convoluted, not strictly HEA, too short/long, and/or chemistry issues, may have impact on other BL fans but not me (or on me but not others) examples: Make it Right, KinnPorsche

6/10 - WORTH WATCHING BUT FLAWED - probably around the ending or in narrative structure/cohesion or censorship, disappointed expectations, unlikely to rewatch, examples: My Gear and Your Gown, Love Mechanics

5/10 - WATCH IF YOU HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO - but don’t expect much, it’s a total hot mess interesting only because it's BL and I'm probubly pretty conflicted about it, examples: Advance Bravely, Even Sun

4/10 - FATALLY FLAWED - but still basically BL, however... do we want to support this kind of behaviour? examples: Precise Shot, Work from Heart

3/10 - I DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM WATCHING AND NEITHER DOES IT, just seriously why did this get made? examples: Blue of Winter, Physical Therapy 

2/10 - IT'S DEPRESSING - they killed/tortured/etc the gay, save yourself, examples: The Effect, HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count

1/10 - IT'S AWFUL, I WATCHED IT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO, has all the flaws of 4-3 plus something even more egregious, personally triggering, example: My Bromance series, Round Trip to Love

dnf - self explanatory, but usually I drop because I feel like the narrative is already a #3 and/or headed for a #2 or #1 and then I’m told later that is went there, example: My Tempo

I hand out the fewest 1s & 10s. The most 8s and 7s. Everything else is pretty much on the bell curve you’d expect. 

Q2: What resources do you use to build your reviews?

I listen to a lot of pop culture review critiques in podcast form, often about stuff I'd never watch. But I like the way professionals talk about these things, even if they aren't MY things or don't jive with my personal opinions.

Mark Kermode is my favorite film critic and we like the opposite stuff, but the way he talks about film is very interesting to me. His podcast mini series on the "business of film" is probably one of my must listens. For his main podcast (Kermode & May’s Take), I always skip over all the interviews, people talking about their own films bore me to death (especially if they are actors on the promo junket, save me please). His rants are some of my favorites of all time (try Pirates 3 or Iron Man 2). Someone else’s list. 

I also like Pop Culture Happy Hour from NPR because it brings in multiple perspectives and varied cast of critics who often disagree and the "things making me happy" is a grab bag of fun.

The Bechdel Cast is a feminist critique podcast from Hollywood insiders and they do recaps as well as critique, and it's always fascinating to me to hear what people latch onto in a narrative. However, I only listen if I am already familiar with the film they are discussing.

My background is in anthropology and I've lived all over the world so that helps train me to think in terms on culture's impact on narrative as well as linguistics and so forth. As a personality I’m also quite reserved and deadpan, grumpy, stiff, strict, and kinda cold. I think I gravitate to being an observer and an outsider which helps if you want to analysis stuff. Which is not a claim to objectivity, I don't think there can be objective analysis of pop culture.

But it does make me pause to think, "that made me FEEEL something" why? What am I feeling? How did the actor do that? The script? The direction?

These shows are meant to entertain, whether they are successful or not, for me (and what "successful entertainment" means to me) and how they are doing it is the first question I always ask myself.

Q3: What are the things you look out for when watching a BL?

I ask myself a lot of things I would when looking at any piece of art. Or even when shopping for clothing or a new car or reading a book.

Did I like it? Why did I like it?

Did it move me? Why did it move me? 

Did I react? How did I react? To which bits? Why? 

What tropes and narrative beats was it using to manipulate me and my expectations? Did it meet those expectations? The promises it set up at the start? Did it fulfill the watcher-contract during the course of the narrative? 

Did the filming successfully telegraphy the journey I was meant to take? Did the actors? 

But also... would I rewatch it? Am I tempted to do so the moment it ends? For which bits?

The statistician in me wants to point out that these questions say a lot more about me and my relationship to art than it does about the art itself.

For example

Did I like it? Means... I'm motivated by pure taste and personal preference and complete subjectivity. This is in part formed by a person's background, life state, whole experience with culture and pop culture and society, family, friends. Taste is also just "that" bit. You know, that bit? Likes lemon deserts over chocolate ones, gravities to spicy food, favorite color is green, decorates with potted plants. Just my taste is my taste. I like what I like. 

Yes I have some criteria that subconsciously come into play: I look for clever story structure, subversion or manipulation of tropes, parody, not hitting any of my dislikes (like dub con). But also I have other biases impacting whether I like it (like physical appearance) which I can try to check but usually can't fix. (For example GMMTV's Gawin/Fluke looks so much like an ex of mine I really struggle with his screen presence.)

Did I like it?

The fact that this is the first question I ask myself also should tell you I'm motivated by the emotion these narratives engender. I want them to transport me and move me. I my case I want to feel comforted and satisfied and happy. The ones the make me feel discomfort, especially for too long in the narrative, I am simply going to like less. Sometimes less than I feel like I should (see my struggles with masterworks like ITSAY, YNEH, or The 8th Sense). The very BLs that most professional critics would tout as the best examples of the genre for a wider audience often turn out to be the ones I struggle with the most. (They are also, fortunately for me, the least representative of the bulk of the genre.)

In other words there is ALSO a part of me that genuinely likes and enjoys the trashy stuff. Even the trash I trash watch.

So I would advise you to come up with your own questions. Ask yourself what you want from these shows when you watch them. 

What motivates you? 

Why are you watching them at all? 

What brings you joy from an art or entertainment experience? 

What do you want them to do for you? To you?

You are going to experience them (and therefore analyze them) from this perspective whether you like it or not. So understand yourself is paramount. It's about your relationship to the art, not the art itself.

If I were to give you an assignment I would say start with one BL you really enjoyed, perhaps not your favorite but one level down. And then do one you really did not enjoy. And think about why... 

Happy analyzing! 

(source)

[fruit-bat-gran]

discourse analysis can suck my balls

[solipseismic]

have we read in stubborn is (of hopeful of) by alix anne shaw because we should all read in stubborn is (of hopeful of) by alix anne shaw

[housewivesoffrankfurt]

IDENTIFYING STRUCTURES OF NARRATIVE PERCEPTION AND CLOTHING IN ‘IN THE BASEMENT OF THE GOODWILL STORE’ BY TED KOOSER AND THE FASHION SYSTEM BY ROLAND BARTHES

As an object is transformed into language, it must first pass the barrier of description. This, as Roland Barthes argues in The Fashion System, is an act of reduction: each feature of a garment that is not pinned down by description is theoretically infinite.(1) Thus, the description of the garment in Ted Kooser’s ‘In the Basement of the Goodwill Store’ is granted to the reader via its elimination of possibilities rather than what it truly resembles. While Barthes is interested in the formations of meanings from signifiers internal and external to fashion, Kooser is interested in the transformation of fashion into description, and, through this, imposes a variety of meanings that the fashioned body acts as a conduit for.(2) Indeed, the poetry form allows a hyperbolic example of these processes, with the high level of attention devoted to shaping the introductions of character, images and symbolism, and each of these minor structural details magnifying under the briefness of the text.

At first, Kooser locates his poem ‘In musty light, in the thin brown air,’ inviting the reader into a scene of stillness; the ‘musty’ quality of the light suggests that this region is seen through the lens of this mustiness, therefore every image that follows is one seen in reference to this stale, mouldy state.(3) Description originates at this node and spirals downwards into its surroundings, firstly travelling into the ‘damp carpet.’ In this, a process of uncovering occurs, and it is assigned direction: downward. Barthes argues that ‘description institutes [...] a protocol of unveiling: the garment is unveiled according to a certain order, and this order inevitably implies certain goals.’(4) While the carpet is invariably not a garment in this context, it still falls under this protocol of unveiling, and the downward movement of images mimics the descent into the basement that this scene takes place in. This movement draws attention to the recurring symbol: death. As the mode of viewership moves to ground and is buried beneath the mass of images and symbols that follow, it positions the reader in the place of the uncanny figure that stands out from the centre of the scene: slicing through the stillness, ‘an old man stands / trying on glasses’.(5) The first verb of the poem presents here, in the fourth line, and so the text prior to this is rendered completely still. Of course, in appearing, the old man disrupts the previously inert setting, and his movement amplifies his difference to his surroundings. As the glasses are the only described feature of his face, their addition and removal infinitely change his image, with all conceptualisations of his face put on and taken off with them. The glasses, therefore, become a mediator for ‘face’ imposed upon the blank canvas of his head. Barthes believes that ‘description here is an instrument of structuration; in particular, it permits orienting the perception of the image,’ and, like the man’s glasses permit his perception of his surroundings, they also permit the reader’s perceptions, grounded in the shifts of his body and appearance.(6)

Upon establishing the presence of the glasses and their changeability, Kooser states that the old man is ‘lifting each pair / from the box like a glittering fish.’(7) Here, with the glasses being likened to glittering fish, the reference point that they occupy moves from corporeal to external. Of course, the fish is only able to have this ‘glittering’ quality due to the presence of the inaugural ‘musty light’, filtered through the glasses’ lenses. In this way, Kooser grounds his poem in perception: so far he has recognised the movements involved in changing reader perception directionally, followed by fluxing the reader’s perception of his character’s face, then the doubling of perceptions present in the glasses. The ‘musty light’ allows the reader to see the glasses, while the glasses themselves reflect this image back, glittering at and blinding the viewer.

The narrative then disseminates into the surroundings once more, noting the ‘catacomb shadows’ that these images emerge from.(8) This solidifies the differences between the old man and his setting: the man is in the light, blindingly so, and everything else ‘looms’ in the shadows. These ‘catacomb shadows’ are a place of blurred boundaries, since object and corpus become indistinguishable in the ‘old toilets with dry red throats’, and, as such, difference is also established in the way that the viewer perceives these two regions; in the light region, body and object are distinct and one acts upon the other, whereas in the shadowy outskirts of the scene, body and object act as a singular unit.(9) The Fashion System once again notes that ‘Fashion and literature in fact utilise a common technique whose end is seemingly to transform an object into language: it is description,’ and, once again, it is this system of description that is at play here: it is description which tethers body and object together in the ‘red throats’ of the toilets, and description which separates the old man and his glasses.(10) In light of this transformation of object into language via description, the beginning of the second stanza is viewed as another act of unveiling, as the old man’s clothing is described.

The Barthesian reading of clothing suggests that each vestimentary (clothing) object is a summation of an object and its variation, therefore ‘the green leisure suit / you threw out with the garbage’ can be deconstructed in relation to Barthes' analysis of written clothing.(11) The suit occupies the role of object (O), with green and leisure as its variants (V1, V2), with this matrix resulting in ‘garbage’. In fact, the suit itself, being imprinted upon by two forms of variation, is changed twice in the production of final object, functioning overall as (V1 • (V2 • O)) ≡ garbage.(12) Here, the variant of leisure imparts its meaning upon the suit, forming the first unit of meaning: leisure suit. This is then acted upon by the variant of green, resulting in the image of the ‘green leisure suit’ in its totality, which is immediately tied to garbage and dislike. It appears that object signification actually originates from the end of the noun phrase, which is then amended as the meaning travels backwards through the phrase, ending at the beginning of its written identity. The same process is mirrored in the ‘ventilated wingtip shoes’, which are worn as a joke, which forms the following near identical matrix of (ventilated • (wingtip • shoes)) ≡ joke.(13) In addition to the ‘Christmas tie you hated’, we see that this character is shown wearing three articles of clothing, all three of which result in disgust, humour and hate.(14) In this process of bodily description, through three units of vestimentary meaning, Barthes proposes that ‘This total garment must be organized, i.e., cut up and divided into significant units, so that they can be compared with one another, and in this way reconstitute the general signification of Fashion.’(15) Through this, the garment becomes a series of images that act upon, and are then transmitted by, the body - which then lead into the fourth, and final, bodily signification of the glasses. Upon reaching the end of the poem, the changing glasses have stabilised, and they become a mode through which the character looks to the reader, inverting the prior relationship of reader looking to character. Thus, the glasses redirect the symbol of changing, nebulous facial features: that symbol is now imposed upon the reader, and the ‘glittering fish’ becomes ‘two mirrors which flash and glance’.(16)

Overall, the duration of ‘In the Basement of the Goodwill Store’ sees a structuring and restructuring of character and place, with symbolisms destabilising their surroundings. In this basement, the boundaries between self and space disintegrate, with the vestimentary details acting as an anchor for the old man character to exist through. Alongside this, The Fashion System describes how clothing is read and how meaning is constituted through clothing descriptions, and allows a methodological approach to deconstructing the old man and his signification in Kooser’s poem. Over the course of the poem, as the character and surroundings are unveiled, description is the constant at the heart of this unveiling, and Barthes’ theory is one of many access points to investigating how this meaning is formed and repurposed - from the synthesis of images, all the way to the redirection of symbolism directly towards the reader.

FOOTNOTES

(1) See 'The Infinite Garment': Roland Barthes, The Fashion System (London: Vintage, 2010).

(2) Sonja Andrews, ‘Textile Semantics: Communication-based Reading of Textiles’, Textile, 6.1 (2008) 32-65, p.35.

(3) Ted Kooser, In the Basement of the Goodwill Store (2022) <https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42631/in-the-basement-of-the-goodwill-store> [Accessed 10/12/2022].

(4) Barthes, The Fashion System p. 16.

(5) Kooser, In the Basement of the Goodwill Store <https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42631/in-the-basement-of-the-goodwill-store> [Accessed 10/12/2022].

(6) Barthes, The Fashion System, p. 26.

(7) Kooser, In the Basement of the Goodwill Store <https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42631/in-the-basement-of-the-goodwill-store> [Accessed 10/12/2022].

(8) Ibid.

(9) Ibid.

(10) Barthes, The Fashion System, p. 12.

(11) Kooser, In the Basement of the Goodwill Store <https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42631/in-the-basement-of-the-goodwill-store> [Accessed 10/12/2022].

(12) Barthes, The Fashion System, p. 63.

(13) Kooser, In the Basement of the Goodwill Store <https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42631/in-the-basement-of-the-goodwill-store> [Accessed 10/12/2022].

(14) Ibid.

(15) Barthes, The Fashion System, p. 42.

(16) Kooser, In the Basement of the Goodwill Store <https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42631/in-the-basement-of-the-goodwill-store> [Accessed 10/12/2022].

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Andrews, Sonja, ‘Textile Semantics: Communication-based Reading of Textiles’, Textile, 6.1 (2008) 32-65.

Barnard, Malcolm, Fashion as Communication (Abingdon: Routledge, 2002).

Barthes, Roland, The Fashion System (London: Vintage, 2010).

Damhurst, Mary Lynn, Russell, Daniel Wayne and Yu, Ui-Jeen, ‘The Impact of Body Image on Consumers’ Perceptions of Idealized Advertising Images and Brand Attitudes’, Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, 40.1 (2011) 58-73.

Kooser, Ted, In the Basement of the Goodwill Store (2022) <https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42631/in-the-basement-of-the-goodwill-store> [Accessed 10/12/2022].

[reitziluz]

i do not understand people's inability to talk about a character or work or genre or trope without framing it as better than something else or not being enjoyed the correct way by others.

challenge: analyze things you like without taking potshots at things you do not like

(don't let the things you hate dictate the meaning of the things you love)

[starryalpacasstuff]

Goddam, not me losing my head, screaming and shouting the second Jaeyoung appears on camera in Not Red and then it cuts to Chu Sangwoo in RED!!!

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of Intension and Extension

The philosophy of intension and extension pertains to the study of meaning, particularly in logic, semantics, and the philosophy of language. These concepts are used to analyze how words, terms, or concepts relate to the objects or entities they describe and how they convey meaning.

Key Concepts:

Intension:

Definition: Intension refers to the internal content or the conceptual aspects of a term—the set of attributes, properties, or criteria that a term conveys. It is essentially the "sense" or meaning of the term.

Example: The intension of the term "bachelor" includes the properties of being an unmarried man. These are the characteristics that define what it means to be a bachelor.

Focus on Meaning: Intension is concerned with what a term means, not directly with the specific instances it refers to. It's about the conditions that something must meet to be included in the term's extension.

Extension:

Definition: Extension refers to the set of all actual objects, entities, or instances in the world to which a term applies. It is the "reference" or the collection of things that fall under the concept described by the term.

Example: The extension of the term "bachelor" includes all specific men who are unmarried. These are the actual individuals who meet the criteria defined by the intension.

Focus on Reference: Extension is concerned with the real-world examples of a term, the specific members of the category that the term describes.

Relationship Between Intension and Extension:

Interdependence:

Linking Concepts to Reality: Intension and extension are closely related in that the intension of a term determines its extension. The set of properties (intension) defines what counts as an instance of the term, and therefore what is included in its extension.

Example: If the intension of "triangle" is "a three-sided polygon," then the extension includes all actual geometric figures that are three-sided polygons.

Variation Across Contexts:

Contextual Sensitivity: The extension of a term can change depending on the context, even if the intension remains the same. For instance, the intension of "president" as "the elected head of a country" is stable, but the extension (the actual person who is president) changes with each election.

Temporal Shifts: The extension of a term can also change over time. The intension of "planets in the Solar System" hasn't changed much, but the extension changed when Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet.

Philosophical Implications:

Analytic Philosophy and Logic: In analytic philosophy, the distinction between intension and extension is fundamental in understanding meaning, reference, and the structure of logical arguments.

Modal Considerations: Intension is also linked to possible worlds semantics, where the meaning of a term (intension) is consistent across different possible worlds, but its extension might vary from one world to another.

Applications and Examples:

Natural Kind Terms: Consider the term "water." The intension might involve being a clear, drinkable liquid, while the extension would include all actual instances of H₂O. However, in another possible world where water has a different chemical composition (say, XYZ), the extension would differ, but the intension might still involve the same concept of a clear, drinkable liquid.

Ambiguity and Vagueness: Words with vague intensions can lead to unclear or shifting extensions. For example, the intension of "heap" might involve "a large collection of grains," but determining the precise extension (what counts as a heap) can be tricky.

Criticisms and Debates:

Challenges of Intensional Definitions: Defining the exact intension of complex or abstract terms can be difficult. For instance, philosophical debates often arise over the intension of terms like "justice" or "knowledge."

Rigid Designators: Philosophers like Saul Kripke have introduced the concept of rigid designators, terms that refer to the same object in all possible worlds, raising questions about how intension and extension function in modal contexts.

The philosophy of intension and extension provides a framework for understanding how terms relate to the concepts they describe (intension) and the actual entities they refer to (extension). Intension deals with the meaning and properties of terms, while extension concerns the specific instances those terms apply to. This distinction is crucial in logic, semantics, and the philosophy of language, helping to clarify issues of meaning, reference, and the relationship between language and the world.

[yanderefairyangel]

Ok so I just wanted to say this : I got some people telling me that I was arguing semantics when debunking the vid. And that worries me cause in media analysis, you ARE supposed to play semantics...

Which actually made me realize that most of the video essays on ytb analyzing supports or dialogue never really questionned why a character speaks in a certain way and how it conveys their personality, what does it shows about said character and the overall effect.

While there is not one way to analyze a media, in general the literacy ask you to try to ask yourself what something represent symbolically and that can comes through the use of words. Which is why I insist on using the jpn version for Engage. Each language has its own rules, system and own semantics with all the subtlelty and nuance possible. This is what makes translation so hard, the fact that you have to choose the right words to properly render the nuance of the original sentence without adding or removing in meaning. Even then, you can't rely on translation one hundred percent to study the writing of a media. Words are tools, and they create effects by creating meaning. That's why studying semantics is important and checking the original text is.

In japanese there is several words with different nuance that English can't take into account. You can say "I" by either using watashi, boku, ore, atashi, washi, ware/waga/ga, jibun etc. And all of those have slight different nuance due to the practice linked to those words, the context in which they are usually refered to and so on and so on. Each information transmitted by the text is important, the wording and how it is said, all of this are another way of showing something.

And also, taking into account the subtext behind a character's silence.

Take chapter 2 for example, in chapter 2, when Lumera told Alear she hoped they would view her as a mother like they used to 1 000 years ago, Alear remained silent and made a rather sad face, showing their uneasyness. This silent is playing into the many instance of foreshadowing in Engage, where Alear's lack of familiarity towards Lumera is apparent. Their awkward reaction comes from the fact that Lythos Castle and Lumera don't ring a bell and when you know the truth behind all of this, it all makes sense that Alear would not feel familiar with that place.

Yes I play with semantics, but playing with semantics is essential in an analysis. I know the meme of the "curtain are blue means nothing deep" made a lot of damage, but every choice matters. The "curtains are blue" means something : either it is linked to the mood of whoever choose the curtains, either it is a choice made by the author to create "un effet de réel" to quote Barthes, an element that might play later on, existing for aesthetic reason to create a sonority like Flaubert used to.

If you never try to look into a sentence, you won't obtain a deeper analysis and will only stay on a surface level.

[all-software-updates]

Overcoming Search Challenges with NLP Powered Semantic Search

In the realm of information retrieval, traditional keyword-based search methods often face significant challenges. These include:

Lack of Context Understanding: Relevant results are frequently produced by keyword searches that are unable to understand the context of the queries.

Synonym and Polysemy Issues: Synonyms and polysemy are two terms that have different meanings but are similar enough to trick conventional search engines.

Ambiguity in Queries: Users may become frustrated by unclear inquiries as they may yield a wide range of irrelevant results

Benefits of Semantic Search with NLP

Semantic search, powered by Natural Language Processing (NLP), addresses these challenges effectively:

Contextual Relevance: Semantic search provides more precise and pertinent results by deciphering the intent and context of queries.

Synonym Recognition: NLP gives the search engine the ability to identify synonyms, guaranteeing that users can still locate what they're looking for even if they use alternative terms.

Handling Ambiguity: NLP provides more accurate answers by taking into account the context in which words are used in order to resolve ambiguities.

Choose 3RDi Search with NLP as your Search Partner

3RDi Search processes natural language queries using state-of-the-art NLP algorithms to deliver highly relevant search results. The platform is scalable to manage massive data volumes and adaptable to the unique requirements of different sectors. Real-time insights from data are provided by 3RDi Search, facilitating prompt and well-informed decision-making. Users can easily execute sophisticated searches without requiring substantial technical expertise because to the straightforward UI. In summary, semantic search combined with natural language processing is revolutionizing data interaction by improving search usability and relevancy of results. 3RDi Search stands out as a leading solution, leveraging the full potential of NLP to deliver exceptional search experiences.

[meelsport]

Boost Your Website with These AI SEO GPT Tools!

Boost Your Website with These AI SEO GPT Tools!

SEO Content Creator Generate keyword-rich articles that rank higher on search engines. No more guesswork—just optimized content every time! SEO Content Creator Humanize AI Content Turn robotic text into engaging, relatable content. API integration makes your AI-generated text sound like a human wrote it. Humanize AI Content Semantic Scholar Find high-quality, relevant scholarly articles to…

[digitaldeeptech]

Advanced SEO Methods Demystified: Essential Insights

Regarding digital marketing, SEO analysis assumes the most important position today. It is a competitive requirement for businesses struggling to sustain online visibility and lead organic traffic with novel SEO analysis techniques in the face of continuous changes in search engine algorithms and user behaviors. The comprehensive guide explores the latest developments in SEO analysis and details insights on how those techniques can optimize your digital presence.

Finally, understand the current challenges in SEO.

SEO challenges are numerous, as a business desires to attain top rankings on SERPs. First of all, search engine algorithms change frequently. For example, key search engines like Google constantly update their algorithms in the interest of users’ betterment and to safeguard against manipulative tactics. Digital marketers rush to change strategies for attaining the ranking factors and criteria brought in by those updates.

Another major challenge is that the competition in digital spaces is getting intense. As more and more businesses invest in online visibility, standing out in SERPs is hard. Further, changing user habits — such as voice search and mobile usage — make SEO work rather complex and require adaptation to new search patterns and intents.

Why Traditional SEO Analysis Isn’t Enough Anymore

Traditional methods of SEO, similar to other trends, lay the foundation but still do not sufficiently cover modern, dynamic digital environments. Conventional methods are typically based on static keyword research, backlink research, and on-page optimization tactics. They are important but do not consider new trends having a huge impact on search engine rankings and user engagement.

Outdated SEO techniques are the pathways to agony and poor performance in SERPs. For instance, static keyword research might not take into consideration long-tail keywords or conversational queries — a rising tendency in voice search. Similarly, optimization focused solely on desktops disregards a rising mobile user base that expects seamlessness across devices.

New Techniques in SEO Analysis

1. AI-Powered SEO Tools

AI in SEO research increases the efficiency and accuracy needed for a marketer to make data-driven decisions to drive measurable results. On the other hand, with the aid of AI, a business can be genuinely agile in its SEO strategies for staying ahead in competitive digital landscapes.

2. Voice Search Optimization

Optimizing for voice search, therefore, is critically essential in the current business environment. It captures voice search traffic and increases the user experience across devices. Therefore, by knowing the behaviors of voice search and implementing a content strategy on the same, businesses stand to be able to increase their visibility in the results of voice search and capture more audiences.

3. Mobile-First Indexing

This will ensure that the website provides seamless user experiences across all smartphones and tablets with great user engagement via low bounce rates. By optimizing for mobile, most companies will potentially strongly increase their mobile search visibility and drive organic traffic from users on the go.

4. Semantic SEO

One of the crucial principles of semantic SEO is the consideration of intent behind the query and the context of meaning within the content. Semantic SEO works on the study of users’ intentions and relationships between entities to ensure that search engines return still more relevant results to users. Apply structured data, related keywords, and synonyms, and cluster your content into core topics.

Semantic SEO enhances the relevance and authority of the content, thereby strengthening its potential to rank for more queries semantically related to it. Businesses that incorporate methods of semantic SEO will experience more significant SERP exposure with qualified organic traffic.

5. UX and SEO

UX can make or break website rankings and user engagement metrics. Search engines expose more of their users to websites that have easy navigation, fast-loading pages, and good content fulfilling the intent. These techniques are for enhancing the UX for SEO: page speed optimization, mobile usability enhancements, and making accessible content with good structure.

By focusing on UX, businesses are going to lower bounce rates and increase dwell time, as well as improve conversion rates — an added boon to SEO performance. Not only will positive user experiences improve rankings, but they will also drive customer loyalty and satisfaction.

6. Video and Visual Search Optimization

The growth in video content and visual search has created new opportunities for SEO optimization. Video SEO refers to the optimization of video content for search engines by descriptive titles, tags, and transcripts. Visual Search Optimization: optimization of images and visual content to improve the possibility of their discovery in image search results.

Video and visual search optimization will diversify the formats of content and help attract visually oriented users. By including video and visual elements in the SEO strategy, one can increase reach, engage audiences visually, and drive traffic from multimedia search results.

Attractive Design Structure of the Blog

There are infographics, pertinent images, and data visualization to support readability in the blog. Content is also organized in the form of bullet points, numbered lists, and subheadings for the effective guidance of readers over complex topics. One can go through it easily and light up the important insights and actionable strategies that are brought out.

I have, as a seasoned digital marketer and founder of Digital Deep Tech, witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of taking up advanced SEO analysis techniques. At Digital Deep Tech, we know that innovation and data-driven strategies are the negatives required to adapt to the ever-changing landscape that comes with SEO. Therefore, using AI-driven tools, optimization for voice search, and embracing mobile-first indexing, we bring to our clients exponential improvements regarding ranking and exposure.

I believe in being at the edge of industry trends and delivering solutions in SEO tailored to bring tangible results. Our approach fuses technical expertise with creative insight into creating comprehensive SEO strategies that speak to the target audience, hence going beyond the expectations that our clients have of us.

Conclusion:

This guerdon will, hence, be the mastering of new techniques involved in SEO analysis that will help a business striving to grow sustainably through competitive advantage in the digital market. Embracing AI-powered tools will optimize for voice and mobile, semantic strategies in SEO, and user experience, guaranteeing ubiquitous, quality traffic and long-term prosperity in the said business context.

Help businesses be proactive and flexible in their SEO plans. Businesses will look to measure and implement new techniques to keep them ahead. It is extremely necessary to empower innovative methods and leverage data-driven insights that will unlock new opportunities for enhancing the online presence of a business amidst growing competition.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What role is AI playing in SEO analysis?

AI optimizes SEO performance by automating activities like keyword research, content optimization, and predictive analytics. This helps marketers drive data-driven decisions and brings enhanced efficiency to SEO strategies.

2. How has voice search impacted SEO strategies?

Voice search requires optimizing content for natural language queries and conversational tone. Marketers should have a focus on long-tail keywords and structured data to match effectively with voice search behaviors.

3. What is mobile-first indexing, and why is it important in SEO?

Mobile-first indexing is the process of changing the ranking priority given to the mobile version of websites on the search engine results page, against the backdrop of ever-increasing usage of mobile devices to access the internet. It enhances the user experience and SEO performance through optimization for mobile-first indexing.

4. What are semantic SEO techniques?

Semantic SEO: This is when one gets familiar with the purpose and contextual meaning of the search query. Techniques include related keywords, structured data, and content clustering to improve relevance and authority.

5. In what way does UX impact SEO?

The key role of UX in SEO is ensuring that metrics like bounce rates, dwell time, and conversion rates remain very positive. Improvement in such intrinsic factors of user experience — like page speed, navigation, and content quality — benefits both website ranking and user engagement.