Semantics
/sɪˈmæn.tɪks/noun
The branch of linguistics concerned with meaning.
Did you know?Semantics traces back to Greek sēmantikos, from sēma, meaning “sign” or “token,” which also gave rise to words tied to signs, omens, and signals—language was once treated like a system of meaningful marks, almost like reading fate.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
sēma
“a sign, mark, token, or omen”
Ancient Greek
Greek
sēmantikos
“significant; indicative; pertaining to signs”
19th Century
French
sémantique
“relating to meaning in language”
Late 19th Century
English
semantics
“the study of meaning in language”
Modern English
English
semantics
“the branch of linguistics dealing with meaning”