affect (n.)

A term sometimes used in SEMANTICS as part of a classification of types of MEANING: it refers to the attitudinal element in meaning, as in the differing emotional associations (or CONNOTATIONS) of LEXICAL items (e.g. a youth/youngster stood on the corner) or the expression of attitude (or affect) in INTONATION. Affective meaning is usually opposed to COGNITIVE meaning. Alternative terms include EMOTIVE and ATTITUDINAL.

affect alpha A maximally general notion introduced into GOVERNMENT-BINDING THEORY, subsuming the three operations of ‘move alpha’ (or ‘alpha movement’), ‘insert alpha’ (or ‘alpha insertion’) and ‘delete alpha’ (or ‘alpha deletion’). It could be glossed as ‘do anything to any category’.