Semantics and Pragmatics

Within the field of linguistics, semantics and pragmatics are two closely related subfields dedicated to the study of meaning. Semantics focuses on the literal, context-independent meaning of words, phrases, and sentences—essentially, their dictionary definitions and the meaning derived from their grammatical structure. Pragmatics, in contrast, explores how context influences the interpretation of that meaning, examining how factors like the speaker's intention, shared knowledge between listeners, and the social setting contribute to what is actually being communicated beyond the literal words. Together, these disciplines provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the full scope of human communication, distinguishing between what is explicitly said (semantics) and what is implicitly meant or understood (pragmatics).

  1. Foundations of Meaning
    1. Nature of Meaning
      1. Definition of Meaning in Linguistics
        1. Historical Perspectives on Meaning
          1. Philosophical Approaches to Meaning
            1. Meaning vs. Communication
            2. Distinguishing Semantics and Pragmatics
              1. Semantics: The Study of Literal Meaning
                1. Scope of Semantics
                  1. Methods in Semantic Analysis
                    1. Semantic Competence
                    2. Pragmatics: The Study of Meaning in Context
                      1. Scope of Pragmatics
                        1. Methods in Pragmatic Analysis
                          1. Pragmatic Competence
                          2. Overlap and Distinctions Between Semantics and Pragmatics
                            1. Historical Development of the Distinction
                            2. Key Concepts in Meaning
                              1. Sense and Reference
                                1. Sense: Intensional Meaning
                                  1. Reference: Extensional Meaning
                                    1. Frege's Distinction
                                      1. Empty Names and Non-Referring Expressions
                                      2. Denotation and Connotation
                                        1. Denotation: Literal Reference
                                          1. Connotation: Associated Meanings
                                            1. Cultural Variation in Connotation
                                            2. Compositionality
                                              1. Principle of Compositionality
                                                1. Exceptions to Compositionality
                                                  1. Idioms and Non-Compositional Expressions
                                                  2. Truth Conditions
                                                    1. Definition of Truth Conditions
                                                      1. Role in Sentence Meaning
                                                        1. Truth-Conditional vs. Non-Truth-Conditional Meaning
                                                        2. Utterance, Sentence, and Proposition
                                                          1. Distinction Between Utterance and Sentence
                                                            1. Proposition as Abstract Meaning
                                                              1. Context Dependence of Utterances
                                                                1. Type-Token Distinction