As you know, language represents the means by which we interact socially. Through it we express our feelings, reveal our opinions, in short, we exchange infinite experiences with the people around us and even with those who are very far from we.
In this way, every type of communication, whatever it may be, transmits a message to us, that is, it has a purpose specific, whether to instruct, inform, entertain, arouse emotions, as in the case of poetry, among many others aspects. And when talking about this idea to be transmitted, it is ideal to know that it is related to two basic meanings: the connotative and the denotative.
Thus, when we use words according to their real meaning, that is, that expressed by the dictionary, we are faced with a denotative language. She, in turn, does not allow us to make multiple interpretations, but only one. Want to find out why? Ah! Because it is aimed at objectivity, that is, far from any traces of sentimentality. We can see its presence in various circumstances of our daily lives, such as the one contained within in a report, in an interview, in a text in which we express opinions about a certain fact, among many others.
To facilitate our understanding, understand this article:
Avenida Paulista prepares to receive thousands at the turnaround party
For the first time, São Paulo will have another New Year's Eve party. Free concerts should attract 35,000 people at the Guarapiranga Reservoir.
This New Year's Eve, two parties will move the city of São Paulo: one on Avenida Paulista and the other on Represa de Guarapiranga. Both have musical attractions to lull the audience before and after the turn.
The biggest investment was in Avenida Paulista, which should attract more than two million people and where a giant stage was set up. From various points it will be possible to follow the presentations. A novelty brought from the Netherlands should also draw a lot of attention.
[...]
This year's fireworks show at Paulista will have 15 minutes, according to the party's organizers. Among the special effects, there are 100,000 shots and 7,000 multicolored bombs. New Year's Eve at Paulista generates more than 4,500 direct and indirect jobs.
Source: http://g1.globo.com/bom-dia-brasil/noticia/2010/12/avenida-paulista-se-prepara-para-receber-milhares-na-festa-da-virada.html
We note that this is news published on an important portal and that it informs us about something that will happen. In this way, anyone reading it will make only one interpretation.
Now notice these other images:
Do you think they all portray what kind of language? Will all readers interpret them in the same way?
Well then, we will assign some meanings to all of them. In the first example, the message the sender wants to convey to us is that in order to maintain the desired shape, we must necessarily eat foods with fewer calories and, above all, healthier, as is the case with Apple.
In the other two we apparently have a fruit and vegetable distributor which uses a resource from the language in which human characteristics are attributed to inanimate beings, that is, that have no life own. The squeeze to which the lemon refers has two meanings: that of being crushed, squeezed, as well as of going through any difficulty. So when we say that “so and so has a hard time,” we are revealing that he faced some obstacle.
And now, how is the beetroot situation? Poor thing!!! The expression “coming from below” also acquires a double meaning: that of being diminished when compared to other most successful people in life, and also being born underground, hidden, as well as the carrot.
All these statements indicate that it is a connotative language, constituted not only of a single sense, but of a broad sense. As we can see, it is present in advertisements, such as the ones we analyzed; and in literary language, such as poetry and some prose texts, as it reveals subjectivity, emotion.
Through this knowledge, it is now possible that it becomes easier to identify the differences, do you agree?
By Vânia Duarte
Graduated in Letters
Kids School Team
