[W/K] :: semantics

  General semantics \Gen"er*al sem*an"tics\, n. (1933)
     a doctrine and philosophical approach to language and its
     relationship to thought and behavior, developed by Alfred
     Korzybski (1879-1950), which holds that the capacity to
     express ideas and thereby improve one's interaction with
     others and one's environment is enhanced by training in the
     more critical use of words and other symbols; -- sometimes
     also called semantics.
  
     Note: More information can be found on the web site of the [a
           HREF="http:]/www.general-semantics.org/">Institute of
           General Semantics.
           [PJC]
  
                 General Semantics is the study of the relations
                 between language, "thought", and behavior:
                 between how we talk, therefore how we think,
                 therefore how we act.              --George Doris

  Semantics \Sem*an"tics\, n. sing. or pl. [Gr. shmantikos having
     meaning, from sh^ma a sign.]
     1. the study of the meanings of words and of the sense
        development of words; -- formerly called semasiology.
        [PJC]
  
     2. a doctrine and philosophical approach to language and its
        relationship to thought and behavior, developed by Alfred
        Korzybski (1879-1950), which holds that the capacity to
        express ideas and thereby improve one's interaction with
        others and one's environment is enhanced by training in
        the more critical use of words and other symbols; -- also
        called {general semantics.
        [PJC]
  
     3. the meanings of words as they are used to achieve an
        effect; especially, the multiple meanings of words or the
        multiplicity of words having the same meaning; -- used in
        referring to the confusion that can be caused
        (intentionally or unintentionally) by multiple meanings;
        as, there's no real difference, it's only a matter of
        semantics.
        [PJC]

  Semasiology \Se*ma`si*ol"o*gy\, n. [Gr. shmasi`a signification +
     -logy.] (Philol.)
     The science of meanings or sense development (of words); the
     explanation of the development and changes of the meanings of
     words; -- more commonly referred to as semantics. --
     Se*ma`si*o*log"ic*al, a.
     [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

  semantics
       n : the study of language meaning

  42 Moby Thesaurus words for "semantics":
     bowwow theory, comparative linguistics, derivation,
     descriptive linguistics, dialectology, dingdong theory, etymology,
     glossematics, glossography, glossology, glottochronology,
     glottology, grammar, graphemics, historical linguistics,
     language study, lexicography, lexicology, lexicostatistics,
     lexigraphy, linguistic geography, linguistic science, linguistics,
     mathematical linguistics, morphology, morphophonemics,
     onomasiology, onomastics, onomatology, paleography, philology,
     phonetics, phonology, psycholinguistics, semasiology, semiotic,
     semiotics, significs, sociolinguistics, structuralism, syntactics,
     transformational linguistics
  
  

  semantics
       
           The meaning of a string in some language, as opposed
          to syntax which describes how symbols may be combined
          independent of their meaning.
       
          The semantics of a programming language is a function from
          programs to answers.  A program is a closed term and, in
          practical languages, an answer is a member of the syntactic
          category of values.  The two main kinds are denotational
          semantics and operational semantics.
       
          (1995-06-21)