Semantics (disambiguation): Difference between revisions
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''' | The word '''semantics''' basically refers to the concept of meaning in relation to language. We can conceptualize 'meaning' in many ways, recognize language in many guises, and consider many aspects of relationship. Hence 'semantics' has many referents. | ||
There are a number of approaches to semantics, but one approach, pioneered by [[Richard Montague]] and known as [[model-theoretic semantics]] (or simply [[Montague semantics]]) is based on the idea of interpretation. An interpretation is a mapping from the domain of sentences to a formal structure known as a model. Models include relationships and attributes that may be defined in set-theoretic terms (e.g., '''older than''', '''inanimate''', '''owner of''', etc.) for a property to be semantically interesting, it must hold in all interpretations (or all interpretations satisfying a suitable sent of restrictions). This ensures that they do not reflect accidental or [[contingent]] information. | This article focuses on human natural language and meaning qualifying as 'linguistic meaning'. We therefore begin with an explication of 'natural language' and of 'linguistic meaning'. | ||
==Natural language== | |||
==Linguistic meaning== | |||
<!-- Preserving original lede: '''Semantics is the study of the way in which the use of and interrelationships between [[word (language)|words]], [[phrase]]s and [[sentence (linguistics)|sentences]] create [[meaning]], usually in language. | |||
There are a number of approaches to semantics, but one approach, pioneered by [[Richard Montague]] and known as [[model-theoretic semantics]] (or simply [[Montague semantics]]) is based on the idea of interpretation. An interpretation is a mapping from the domain of sentences to a formal structure known as a model. Models include relationships and attributes that may be defined in set-theoretic terms (e.g., '''older than''', '''inanimate''', '''owner of''', etc.) for a property to be semantically interesting, it must hold in all interpretations (or all interpretations satisfying a suitable sent of restrictions). This ensures that they do not reflect accidental or [[contingent]] information. --> | |||
===Rule to Rule Hypothesis=== | ===Rule to Rule Hypothesis=== | ||
Revision as of 03:01, 21 November 2010
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The word semantics basically refers to the concept of meaning in relation to language. We can conceptualize 'meaning' in many ways, recognize language in many guises, and consider many aspects of relationship. Hence 'semantics' has many referents.
This article focuses on human natural language and meaning qualifying as 'linguistic meaning'. We therefore begin with an explication of 'natural language' and of 'linguistic meaning'.
Natural language
Linguistic meaning
Rule to Rule Hypothesis
An important idea in the semantics of natural languages is the rule to rule hypothesis. The idea is that any phrase structure rule or, more generally, syntactic construct, will have a corresponding semantic relationship. Thus, in the sentence
John sees Sally.
the relationship between John and Sally established by the verb see must correspond to a relationship on the level of models to which the verb see is mapped.