Difference between semantics and pragmatics

Full Answer Section

In this example, the semantics of the sentence is the same in both cases. The literal meaning of the words is the same. However, the pragmatics of the sentence is different in each case. The intended meaning of the sentence is different depending on the context in which it is used.

Two Main Theoretical Sources of Semantics

The two main theoretical sources of semantics are formal semantics and cognitive semantics.

Formal semantics is a branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of language using formal logic and mathematics. Formal semantics is concerned with the logical relationships between words and phrases.

Cognitive semantics is a branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of language from the perspective of how people understand language. Cognitive semantics is concerned with the mental representations of meaning.

Lexical Decomposition

Lexical decomposition is a method of analyzing the meaning of words by breaking them down into smaller, more basic units of meaning. These smaller units of meaning are called morphemes.

For example, the word "unhappy" can be decomposed into the morphemes "un-" (not) and "happy." The morpheme "un-" negates the meaning of the morpheme "happy." Therefore, the meaning of the word "unhappy" is "not happy."

Lexical decomposition can be used to analyze the meaning of any word in a language. It is a useful tool for understanding the complex system of meaning in language.

Five Sense Properties and Relations of Semantics

The five sense properties and relations of semantics are:

1. Sense: The sense of a word is its meaning.
2. Reference: The reference of a word is the object or concept that it refers to.
3. Truth: The truth of a sentence is its correspondence to reality.
4. Entailment: Entailment is a logical relationship between two sentences. If sentence A entails sentence B, then sentence B must be true whenever sentence A is true.
5. Presupposition: Presupposition is a logical relationship between two sentences. If sentence A presupposes sentence B, then sentence B must be true for sentence A to be meaningful.

Extension, Prototype, Stereotype, and Deixis

Extension: The extension of a word is the set of all objects or concepts that it refers to. For example, the extension of the word "dog" is the set of all dogs in the world.

Prototype: The prototype of a word is the most typical example of the thing that it refers to. For example, the prototype of the word "dog" is a typical dog, such as a Golden Retriever.

Stereotype: A stereotype is a fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. For example, a stereotype of a dog is that it is a loyal and loving companion.

Deixis: Deixis is the use of language to refer to things in the context of the situation in which the language is being used. For example, the word "this" refers to the object that is closest to the speaker.

Three Kinds of Semantic Truths

The three kinds of semantic truths are:

1. Analytic truths: Analytic truths are truths that are true by definition. For example, the statement "All bachelors are unmarried men" is an analytic truth.
2. Synthetic truths: Synthetic truths are truths that are not true by definition. They are truths that are based on experience or observation. For example, the statement "The sun is a star" is a synthetic truth.
3. A posteriori truths: A posteriori truths are synthetic truths that are based on experience or observation. For example, the statement "The sky is blue" is an a posteriori truth.

Teaching Tips from the Articles "What is Semantics?" and "What is Pragmatics?"

Here are two teaching tips from each article that I would consider using in a lesson:

Sample Answer

Semantics is the study of meaning in language, while pragmatics is the study of how language is used in context. Semantics is concerned with the literal meaning of words and phrases, while pragmatics is concerned with the intended meaning of language used in a specific situation.

For example, the sentence "The bank is on the other side of the river" has two meanings: a literal meaning and an intended meaning. The literal meaning is that the bank of a river is located on the opposite side of the river. The intended meaning, however, is that the financial institution is located on the other side of the river.