Semantics and pragmatics are two key areas of linguistic study. Semantics focuses on literal meanings and truth conditions, while pragmatics explores how context shapes language interpretation beyond the dictionary definitions.

These fields complement each other in understanding communication. Semantics provides the foundation of meaning, while pragmatics considers how that meaning is used and interpreted in real-world situations, including speaker intentions and social contexts.

Defining Semantics and Pragmatics

Definition of semantics

• Focuses on the literal, dictionary definition of words, phrases, and sentences (denotation)
• Studies meaning that remains constant regardless of context
• Concerned with the truth conditions of sentences
  • Circumstances under which a sentence would be considered true or false
• Deals with compositional meaning derived from individual words and grammatical rules
  • Combining words according to syntactic rules to form meaningful phrases and sentences
• Examines the relationship between linguistic expressions and their referents (things they refer to in the world)
• Considers the sense relations between words (synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy, etc.)

Definition of pragmatics

• Focuses on how context shapes the interpretation of language (beyond literal meaning)
  • Context includes speaker's intention, relationship between speaker and listener, social and cultural setting
• Studies implied meaning derived from context and speaker's intentions (connotation)
  • Goes beyond the literal meaning of words to consider implied or suggested meanings
• Deals with the appropriate use of language in different situations
  • Determined by social norms, cultural conventions, and specific context of the conversation
• Examines how speakers use language to perform speech acts (requesting, promising, apologizing, etc.)
• Considers the role of implicature (implied meaning) and presupposition (assumed background knowledge) in communication

Semantics vs pragmatics

• Semantics provides foundation for literal meaning, while pragmatics interprets meaning in context
• Semantics focuses on stable, context-independent meaning; pragmatics on context-dependent meaning
• Semantics deals with truth conditions of sentences; pragmatics with implied meaning and speaker's intentions
• Semantics is more concerned with the linguistic code itself; pragmatics with the use of the code in communication

Examples of semantic and pragmatic meaning

• "It's cold in here"
  • Semantic: The temperature in the room is low
  • Pragmatic (in context): Implying someone should close the window or turn up the heat
• "I love your new haircut"
  • Semantic: The speaker has a positive opinion about the listener's new haircut
  • Pragmatic (sarcastic): The speaker does not actually like the haircut
• "Can you pass the salt?"
  • Semantic: Asking about the listener's ability to pass the salt
  • Pragmatic: Requesting the listener to pass the salt
• "The cat is on the mat"
  • Semantic: Specifies the location of the cat (on the mat)
  • Pragmatic (in context): May imply the cat should not be on the mat or express surprise at the cat's location