Semantics

Abstract

Semantics is the study of meaning in language. In the logical tradition, semantics concerns the relationship between linguistic expressions and the phenomena in the world to which they refer and considers the conditions under which such expressions can be regarded as true or false. The linguistic or conceptual tradition, on the other hand, refers to the meaning of an expression as a structured idea or "concept" in the mind of the person using that expression. Studies in linguistic semantics demonstrate that there exists considerable cross-linguistic variation in the conceptual content of the lexicon, especially in areas such as emotions, values, speech acts, motion, and artifacts. However, it is also possible to identify a set of universal meanings (or semantic primes) which are found across all languages. Semantic studies create a window onto conceptualization and cognition and provide valuable findings for cultural and cross-cultural psychology, psycholinguistics, bilingualism, and cognitive linguistics.