Semantics in language studies the relationship between signifiers and what they signify. It includes denotation and connotation, and formal semantics evaluates sentences using mathematical concepts. Semantic disputes arise when there is a disagreement about the meaning of a word and can have significant consequences.
Semantics in language determine the relationship between signifiers and what they signify. Although images and body language can be included as signifiers in a broader study of semantics, linguistic semantics deals closely with words and their meanings. Semantics is a subfield of linguistics that specializes in the study of meaning.
For students of semantics in language, signifiers have multiple levels of meaning. The simplest level, also known as the first order of meaning, is the denotation of a word. Denotation refers to a strictly literal understanding, and the object referred to is known as the denoted. For example, the noun phrase “brown bear” indicates a large omnivorous mammal known scientifically as ursus arctos.
Various cultural or emotional meanings attached to a word provide one or more deeper layers of meaning. These subjective meanings are known as connotations. For example, a camper might hear “brown bear” with a connotation of fear and panic. On the other hand, “brown bear” could mean friendship, comfort and safety for a child who plays and sleeps with a soft toy.
The field of formal semantics, or model theory semantics, was pioneered by philosopher and mathematician Richard Montague in the mid-twentieth century. Montague showed how all sentences could be broken down into subjects and predicates. These parts could be compared to mathematical concepts, especially those in the branch of mathematics called typed lambda calculus, in order to evaluate their meaning. This theory is also known as Montague grammar.
Although Montague’s theory of semantics in the language is one of the earliest and most commonly accepted, various philosophers have created other systems. For example, the theory of true conditional semantics was developed by Donald Davidson shortly after Montague published his work on formal semantics. Truth-conditional semantics evaluates the truth of a sentence by looking for specific real-world examples. Other theories include conceptual, lexical, and computational semantics.
Those who are not linguistic experts can still see the effect of semantics on language in the form of a semantic dispute. A semantic dispute is a disagreement about the meaning of a word. Spouses might be arguing about purchases, but they’re actually arguing about the definition of cheap, expensive, or reasonable. Semantic disputes can range from ludicrous to nationally significant. Many court cases have been judged on the meaning of legal phrases, such as “cruel and unusual punishment” and “separate but equal.”
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