Which field studies meaning in language?

Which field studies meaning in language?

• A. Semantics
• B. Pragmatics
• C. Syntax
• D. Morphology

Answer: (A)

Meaning in language is studied in semantics, which looks at what words and sentences mean, and how their meanings combine to create larger sense. Semantics covers the literal sense of words (denotation), how word meanings relate to each other, and how the truth of a statement depends on those meanings. For example, semantics explains why a word like “bank” can refer to a financial institution or a riverside, and how context helps us choose the intended sense. Pragmatics, by contrast, focuses on how speakers use language in real situations to convey more than the literal meaning—implications, intentions, and context. Syntax is about the grammatical structure of sentences, and morphology studies the internal form of words and their meaningful parts. Since the question asks about the field that studies meaning itself, semantics is the best fit.

Meaning in language is studied in semantics, which looks at what words and sentences mean, and how their meanings combine to create larger sense. Semantics covers the literal sense of words (denotation), how word meanings relate to each other, and how the truth of a statement depends on those meanings. For example, semantics explains why a word like “bank” can refer to a financial institution or a riverside, and how context helps us choose the intended sense. Pragmatics, by contrast, focuses on how speakers use language in real situations to convey more than the literal meaning—implications, intentions, and context. Syntax is about the grammatical structure of sentences, and morphology studies the internal form of words and their meaningful parts. Since the question asks about the field that studies meaning itself, semantics is the best fit.