Linguist Forum

Specializations => Semantics and Pragmatics => Topic started by: nima_persia on July 15, 2014, 12:01:29 AM

Title: I am too confused about when object and objective as a noun can be synonym.
Post by: nima_persia on July 15, 2014, 12:01:29 AM

GREETINGS

 Would anyone possibly simply elaborate when the following is absolute synonym and when they are not?


 Object(noun)

 Objective (noun)

Title: Re: I am too confused about when object and objective can be synonym.
Post by: jkpate on July 15, 2014, 03:13:44 AM

They are never synonyms. Maybe you could provide some context so we can understand better where the confusion comes from? In linguistics, "object" refers to the argument of most transitive verbs. I have not heard linguists use "objective" to turn this sense of "object" into a noun.

I have heard people who speak Mandarin Chinese as a first language use "the objective" to refer to the object of a verb (and similarly "the subjective" to refer to the verb's subject), but this is an error, as far as I can tell. I haven't heard linguists use this terminology, including linguists whose first language is Mandarin Chinese.

Title: Re: I am too confused about when object and objective as a noun can be synonym.
Post by: nima_persia on July 15, 2014, 03:17:55 AM

I am so sorry, as I forgot to tell you that I mean if both of them  are  considered as a noun, so when will they be synonym and when do they not?

 

Title: Re: I am too confused about when object and objective as a noun can be synonym.
Post by: freknu on July 15, 2014, 04:32:48 AM

If all you want is a simple synonym you might be better off looking at a thesaurus or synonym list.

object = objective
The goal intended to be attained (and which is believed to be attainable)

Title: Re: I am too confused about when object and objective as a noun can be synonym.
Post by: nima_persia on July 15, 2014, 05:00:15 AM

 I would appreciate your support and reply.

 Nevertheless, I do not need any synonym. I want you first read my original question, then answer it.

 Moreover, I am wondering if native speakers consider them synonym. if so, when do they? and when do they not?

 

Title: Re: I am too confused about when object and objective as a noun can be synonym.
Post by: zaba on July 16, 2014, 06:23:45 AM

The difficult with this question, Nima, is that the assessment of whether X and Y are (near-)synonyms for some speakers depends on the context of the utterance. A word in isolation makes it impossible to assess anything.

for example, 'two' and 'a couple' and 'pair' can mean very similar or very different things in various contexts.

Good luck.