semanticist
Studies word meanings
A semanticist is someone who studies semantics—the branch of linguistics concerned with meaning in language.
The term applies to academic researchers who analyze how words, phrases, and sentences convey meaning: The semanticist argued that context determines reference.
Less formally, calling someone a semanticist can suggest they're overly focused on precise word meanings: Don't be such a semanticist—you know what I meant.
Expressed or intended meaning
- denotationWord's explicit dictionary meaning
- connotationImplied sense, not dictionary
- sensePerception or judgment
- referenceDirecting attention elsewhere
implication · interpretation · polysemy · homonymy · synonymy · antonymy · ambiguity · nuance
Rules for arranging words
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- phonologyScience of language sounds
- pragmaticsLanguage-in-context study
- lexiconVocabulary of a language
lexicography · etymology · sociolinguistics · psycholinguistics · neurolinguistics · philology · grammatical · discourse
Study of signs, symbols
- structuralismAnalysis through underlying systems
- formalismPrivileging structure over substance
- cognitivismTheory prioritizing mental processes
- functionalismTheory emphasizing purposes and roles
deconstruction · Montague · Chomsky · Frege · Katz · paradigm · ontology · epistemology
Removing uncertainty about meaning
- parsingGrammatical structure extraction
- annotationAdded explanatory comment
- corpusAssembled written works
- computationalRelating to digital calculation
signification
Expressed or intended meaning
- denotationWord's explicit dictionary meaning
- connotationImplied sense, not dictionary
- sensePerception or judgment
reference · implication · interpretation · polysemy · homonymy · synonymy · antonymy · ambiguity · nuance · definition
syntax
Rules for arranging words
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- phonologyScience of language sounds
- pragmaticsLanguage-in-context study
lexicon · lexicography · etymology · sociolinguistics · psycholinguistics · neurolinguistics · philology · grammatical · discourse · collocation
semiotics
Study of signs, symbols
- structuralismAnalysis through underlying systems
- formalismPrivileging structure over substance
- cognitivismTheory prioritizing mental processes
functionalism · deconstruction · Montague · Chomsky · Frege · Katz · paradigm · ontology · epistemology
disambiguation
Removing uncertainty about meaning
- parsingGrammatical structure extraction
- annotationAdded explanatory comment
- corpusAssembled written works
semanticistphonetician
Scholar of vocal articulation
phonologist · formalist · grammarian · morphologist · structuralist