LIN247H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Pragmatics, Semiotics, Context-Dependent Memory
Document Summary
Semantics is the study of meaning communicated through language. Linguists assume that a person"s linguistic abilities are based on knowledge that they have this knowledge is what linguists seek to investigate. Linguistic description has different levels of analysis. Phonology is the study of what sounds a language has and how these sounds combine to form words. Syntax is the study of how words can be combined into sentences. Semantics is the study of the meanings of words and sentences. In semantics, entailment is a relationship between sentences so that if a sentence a entails a sentence b, then if we know a, we automatically know b. At the same time, it should be impossible to assert a and deny b. Semantics is the most diverse field within linguistics. Linguistic meaning is a special subset of the more general human ability to use signs. Ex: his high temperature may mean he has a virus.
