Referential meaning (Ý nghĩa tham chiếu ): the basic components of meaning conveyed by the literal use of words, also described as “objective” or “conceptual” meaning .
=> Nghĩa trên mặt chữ
EX: House => House
Associative meaning ( ý nghĩa liên tưởng ): the type of meaning that people might connect with the use of words (e.g. needle = “painful”) that is not part of referential meaning
=> Mang nghĩa sâu xa hơn
EX: river => Hair ( trong văn học VN dòng sông thường được ví với mái tóc)