28 MAY 1988, Page 29

Semantics

Componential Analysis

`a man = human + adult + male' `a woman = human + adult — male' a house on the other hand is beyond value what worries me (and it's quite silly really) is, what is left of the human and adult me when the male has been taken away (i was never good at sums) i keep asking but no-one can say not liking to know that i am a partly missing person i have decided (i am not much good at logic either) that the next time i am asked to define myself i shall say 'HOUSE'

Adrienne Brady

The table at the beginning of the poem is taken from Semantics by G. Leech (1983). This textbook is used by post-graduate students of liguistics.