What is semantics?
Semantics is the
study of meaning. It is a wide subject within the general study of language. An
understanding of semantics is essential to the study of language acquisition (how language users acquire a
sense of meaning, as speakers and writers, listeners and readers) and of language change (how meanings alter over time). It is
important for understanding language in social contexts,
as these are likely to affect meaning, and for understanding varieties of
English and effects of style. It is thus one of the most fundamental concepts
in linguistics. The study of semantics includes the study of how meaning
is constructed, interpreted, clarified, obscured, illustrated,
simplified negotiated, contradicted and paraphrased
Symbol and referent
These terms may clarify the subject. A symbol is something which we use to represent another
thing - it might be a picture, a letter, a spoken or written word - anything we
use conventionally for the purpose. The thing that the symbol identifies is the
referent. This may sometimes be an object in the
physical world (the word Rover is the symbol; a real dog is the
referent).
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