This module provides an introduction to semantics, the study of meaning expressed through language. Semantic analysis involves the study of how words, phrases and grammatical constructions come together in utterances to form unique but well understood messages. Each language organizes semantic meaning into different patterns. Some patterns are very common across many languages, but there are also significant differences in how particular components of meaning are expressed cross-linguistically. By studying how meaning is expressed in a variety of languages, we gain a broader understanding of semantics that can provide insight into how meaning works in any language.
By the end of this module you will:
*be familiar with what constitutes the domain of semantics, and how it relates to other sub-fields of linguistics.
*have been introduced to, and reflected upon, key topics in semantics and philosophy of language.
x*be able to explain several ways in which languages can differ in their semantic structures.
- Module Supervisor: Joseph Lovestrand