ABSTRACT
This study examined the Semantic Analysis
of T-Shirt Inscriptions under the following perspectives: education, politics, advertisement
and religion. It reviewed some scholar's works on the concepts of Semantics,
Graphology and Inscriptions. The method and procedures involved in the
evaluation of the stated objectives of the research work included random
sampling with the use of questionnaires which were distributed to twenty people
who wear T-Shirt's with educational, politics, religion and advertisement inscriptions
in Lagos State - (Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government). The results of the findings
of the four hypotheses generated were tested and the results were positive
responses. This research work has therefore revealed the salient features of T-Shirt
inscriptions in human endeavor. To this end, T-shirt with inscriptions under
the aforementioned fields are recommended to be produced in high quality as
they serve various purposes ranging from enlightenment, information, moral
enlightenment and advertisement.
TABLE
OF CONTENT
|
Title
Page
|
i
|
|
Certification
|
ii
|
|
Dedication
|
iii
|
|
Acknowledgement
|
iv-vi
|
|
Abstract
|
vii
|
|
Table
of Content
|
viii-xi
|
|
Chapter One
|
|
1.1 Background of
the Study 1-5
1.2 Statement of the
Study 6
1.3 Research
Questions 6-7
1.4 Research
Hypotheses 7
1.5 Significance of
the Study 7-9
1.6 Delimitation of
the Study 9-11
1.7 The Process
Involved in the Production of T-Shirts Inscriptions 11-12
Chapter Two
2.1 Literature
Review 13
2.2 The History of
Semantics 14-16
2.3 Definition of
Semantics by Different Scholars 16-18
2.4 Theories of
Semantics 18-2-1
2.5 Types of Meaning 21-27
2.6 Aspects of Sense
Relations 28-32
2.7 Elements of
Sentence Meaning 32-37
2.8 Importance of
Semantics 37-39
2.9 Meaning of
Inscriptions 39
2.10 T-Shirt
Inscriptions as Graphology 39-42
|
Chapter Three
|
|
|
3.1
|
Research Methodology
|
43
|
|
3.2
|
Research Design
|
43-44
|
|
3.3
|
Population of the Study
|
45
|
|
3.4
|
Sampling Design and Procedure
|
45-46
|
|
3.5
|
Instrumentation
|
46
|
|
3.6
|
Validity of the Instrument
|
47
|
|
3.7
|
Reliability of the Instrument
|
47-48
|
|
3.8
|
Method of Data Collection
|
48
|
|
3.9
|
Method of Data Analysis
|
48-49
|
|
Chapter Four
|
|
|
4.1
|
Presentation and Data Analysis
|
50
|
|
4.2
|
Analysis of Personal Data
|
50-53
|
|
4.3
|
Hypothesis Testing (Presentation of Result)
|
54
|
|
4.4
|
Hypothesis One
|
54
|
|
4.5
|
Hypothesis Two
|
55
|
|
4.6
|
Hypothesis Three
|
56
|
|
|
|
4.7
|
Hypothesis Four
|
57-58
|
|
|
|
Chapter Five
|
|
|
|
|
|
Summary,
Conclusion and Recommendation
|
|
|
|
|
5.1
|
Summary
|
|
59-60
|
|
|
5.2
|
Conclusion
|
|
61
|
|
|
5.3
|
Recommendations
|
|
61-63
|
|
|
|
References
|
|
64-67
|
|
|
|
Appendix.
| | | |
CHAPTER
ONE
1.1
Background of the Study
Linguistics can be broadly broken into
three categories or subfields of study: Language form, language meaning and
language in context. Language form refers to the surface features of language
and how these are arranged according to the grammar of the language. According
to Adebanjo X2008) in "Basic Issues in Discourse Analysis", language
in use which cannot be restricted to the description of linguistic forms
independent of the purpose or functions which their forms are designed to serve
in human affairs. Our main focus in this study is on language meaning which is
known as "Semantics", the study of language meanings deal on how
language employ logical structures and real world references to convey, process
and assign meanings as well as to manage and resolve ambiguity. Language is essentially
a social phenomenon, the assertion is clearly foregrounded in the definition of
M.A.K. Halliday cited in Bloor guage can be `woven' to express the intention of
a writer. When people use language to express meanings, they do so in specific
situations and the type of language that they use is usually influenced by the
complex elements of those situations (pg. 14).
People who wore T-Shirt with
inscriptions just like every other human being normally use T-Shirt
inscriptions to express themselves. According to Babajide (2000), "Every
human being is naturally endowed with capacity for language use for the
expression of self and reception of others expressed messages. T-Shirt
inscriptions could be seen as an informal way of non-verbal messages to its
readers. and Bloor (1995) that Semantics according to Titi Adejumobi (2007) is
the study of the meaning of words, phrases and sentences (pg. 32). Crystal (1980) defines semantics as the
study of the meaning of linguistic forms (pg. 315). Lyons (1981) also defines
it as "the study of meaning". Oladipo L. et al (2000) defines ‘semantics'
as the study of the word and morpheme meanings as the study of rules combining
meanings.
We can then infer from the different
definitions above that Semantics is the branch of linguistics dealing with
meanings of words and sentences. In
semantics analysis, there is always an attempt to focus on what the' words
conventionally mean, rather than on what
a speaker might want the words to mean on a particular occasion. This technical
approach to meanings emphasizes the objectives and the general. It avoids the
subjective and the local.
Semantics shows how the speech
community of a particular language gives meaning to its speech sounds or vocal
noise or-the representatives of the vocal noise in writing. It investigates and
describes how each human language arrives at a system of a given meaning to its
peculiar vocal
noise. Semantics as a science of
meaning comes in readily to and establish the problem. Creative writers can be
very good, powerful, effective or sometimes ineffective in their use of
languages in their surface and deep levels of creating different meanings to
suit their goals. Semantic explains the various types of meaning that exist
within T-Shirt inscriptions.
Therefore, semantics is the science
that studies the meaning of T-Shirt inscriptions. .
Most scholarly works on text like this
have been on newspapers, headlines, speeches, semiotics and car stickers in
purview of pragmatics and critical discourse analysis. However, this paper
intends to consider a vital concept in linguistics. "Semantics to analyse
T-Shirt inscriptions". This will serve as a theoretical framework to
enhance our understanding of meanings with different T-Shirt inscriptions used
by people. It will reveal the importance and effects of these T-Shirt
inscriptions. It will also add to the few existing scholarly works on
semantics.
T-Shirt inscription as Graphology is a
branch of linguistics that studies writing and printing as systems of signs. It is the study of the writing system
of a language, the orthographic conventions that have been devised to turn
speech into writing using any available technology (e.g. pen d ink, typewriter,
printing press, electronic screen) . In modern English, the core of the system
is the alphabet of 26 letters, in its lower case (a, b, c ... ) and upper case
(A, B, C ... ) forms, along with rules which govern the way of spelling and
capitalization which govern the way these letters are combined to make words.
The system also includes the set of punctuations marks and the conventions of
text positioning (such as headlines and indents), which are used to organize
text by identifying sentences, paragraphs and other written units. (David
Crystal 1987).
1.2
Statement of the Study/Purpose of the
Study
1. To
identify and study T-Shirt inscriptions.
2. To
examine the stylistic nature inscriptions.
3. To
explore the similarities among the different T-Shirt inscriptions.
4. To examine the various semantics
associated with the different T-Shirt inscriptions
1.3 Research
Questions
1. What are the different T-Shirt
inscriptions used as our data in this research?
2. What are the methods of style used in writing
the T-Shirt inscriptions under study in this research?
3. What are. the similarities and differences
among these T-shirt inscriptions?
4. What are the semantics associated with the
different inscriptions of these T-Shirts?
1.4 Research Hypothesis
HO1: There are significant
differences among the various types of T-Shirt
inscriptions
used in our data.
HO2: There are significant
differences in the stylistic methods used in
writing
the various T-Shirt inscriptions in our data.
HO3: There are no
significant differences in the production process of these T-
Shirt
inscriptions
H04: There are significant differences
on the importance of these T-Shirt
inscriptions.
1.5 Significance of the Study
There have been many research works
which adopted semantics analysis approach to different areas such as
advertisement, tourist, destination, images, cars, stickers etc. but none have
filled the gap of T-Shirt inscriptions. So, it is the intention of the present
writer to dwell on the application of the concept of semantics to analyse some
T-Shirt inscriptions in order to fill the gap that is vacuum.
Due to the gap that has not been filled
by the previous writers, the present writer intends to apply the concept of
semantics:
Ø To study T-Shirt with religious,
educational, political and advertisement inscriptions.
Ø To examine the various semantics
associated with the different T-Shirt inscriptions.
Ø To study the stylistic nature of the
T-Shirt inscriptions.
Ø To examine the importance of these T-Shirt inscriptions
in human endeavors.
It is believed that this study will
educate the public more on T-Shirt inscriptions by throwing more light on the
types,
meanings and importance of these
T-Shirt inscriptions used by people.
1.6 Delimitation of the Study
This research work shall be limited to
T-Shirt inscriptions under religion, advertisement, education and politics. education
in its general sense is a form of learning in which the knowledge, skills and
habits of a group -of people are transferred from one generation to the next
through teaching, training or research. Education makes a worthy contribution
to our lives by making us responsible citizens. It spreads awareness, informing
us about our rights and the service that can access this is ,done through the
use of educational T-Shirt inscriptions.
Religion is the study of the nature of
God and religious truth; rational inquiry into religious questions. (from
http:/ www.thefreedictionary.com/theology retrieved on 10-01-14).
Religion teaches morals and encourages
good lifestyle in a society; this is achieved through the use of religious
T-Shirt inscriptions.
According to William J. Stanton (2012),
Advertising consists of all the activities involved in presenting to a group, a
non-personal, oral or visual, openly sponsored message regarding dissemination
through one or more media and is paid for by an identified sponsor.
The main importance of advertising is
to inform its targeted audience/ customers about introduction of new products,
update or changes in existing products or product related changes, information
regarding new offers and schemes. This seen on advertisement T-Shirt inscriptions.
(from http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki Retrieved on 10th January, 2014).
Politics is the practice and theory of
influencing other people on a civic or individual level. It refers to achieving
and exercising positions of governance-organized control over a human
community, particularly a state.
Political T-Shirt inscriptions
propagate and educate the people about the government of the day.
1.7
The processes involved in the production of T-Shirt Inscriptions
Printing inscriptions and images on
T-Shirts is a complex process, when the paint is applied over the fabric.
Modern technologies allow the application of almost any prints on textiles;
inscriptions and drawings, logos and pictures, turning ordinary thing into one
of the kind. T-Shirt with printing is an easy way to make a common week day colorful
or to present an original gift for the holiday.
Printing inscriptions on T-Shirts
involve the process of heating to produce the inscriptions.
In making high-quality printing on
T-Shirts and fabrics, you apply print which is a thermal transfer using
ordinary iron. The basis of this technology consists of placing the image on
the fabric, using strong pressure and temperature.
Home-made printing involves buying a
heat press to improve the quality. Digital printing on textiles (T-Shirt
printing) allows the application of a variety of fabrics from natural to mix
up.
Professional printing companies provide
digital printing on black, white, colored and multi-colored t-shirts, sweater,
shirts, etc. and the picture looks bright and realistic regardless 44 the type
of textile type and its color. The unique organic water-based ink designed
specifically for. textiles is used for printing on t-shirts which really
"grow together" with fabric and the image remains imperceptible.
Login To Comment