Semantics

Abstract

There are many different ways of defining the word “semantics”. For instance, according to Eco (2017: 550–551), it is possible to distinguish at least five senses of semantics. That is to say: a. Semantics as the study of the meaning of terms removed from any context [...]; b. Semantics as the study of content systems or structural semantics [...]; c. Semantics as the study of the relation between term (or sentence) and referent, or as the study of reference [...]; d. Semantics as the study of the truth conditions of propositions expressed by sentences; e. Semantics as the study of the particular meaning that terms or sentences assume in context or in the text as a whole [...]; With particular reference the last sense, we will try to examine two key concepts of semantic analysis: the concept of compositionality and this one of semantic potential.