Any system used to carry information must be characterized syntactically, defining its grammatical expressions, and semantically, defining how they are used to express meaning. Its semantics is distinguished in addition from its phonology, the sound...

Term coined by Bréal (1897) for the subdiscipline of linguistics concerned with the analysis and description of the so-called ‘literal‘meaning of linguistic expressions. Depending on the focus, various aspects of meaning may be...

SEMANTICS conveniently divides into two branches, the theory of designation and/or denotation and the theory of meaning. The former constitutes extensional, the latter intensional semantics. Both branches are thus parts of the modern trivium of syntax,...

Term coined by Porzig (1934) to denote the syntagmatic relationship of compatibility between pairs of linguistic expressions with a unidirectional semantic implication, such as bark: dog, blond: hair. This type of semantic relation plays an especially...

Semantics (Greek sēmantikos, giving signs, significant, symptomatic meaning, from sēma (σῆμα), sign) refers to aspects of meaning, as expressed in language or other systems of signs. As discussed in semiotics, the theory of signs, by the Vienna...

Xerox Corp. says its new search engine based on semantics will analyze the meaning behind questions and documents to help researchers find information more quickly.FactSpotter promises to help by returning a specific portion of a search document that is relevant to the query.Developing the search...

Worldwide users are just getting familiar with the concept of Web 2.0, through which they can collaborate and share Internet content.Yet some technologists already are discussing the dawn of an era known as Web 3.0.Some experts think Web 3.0 may be the best way to...

Malapropisms, it seems, aren't exclusive to President Bush. France's Socialist presidential hopeful, Segolene Royal, is accused of battering the language of Moliere by speaking of "bravitude" _ when she apparently meant "bravoure." The linguistic invention on a visit this weekend to China was widely publicized...

Two of Sen. Larry Craig's children said Tuesday they questioned him explicitly about "what exactly happened in that bathroom" where he was arrested in a sex sting and believe his assertions that he isn't gay.Michael Craig said they asked their father about the June 11...