Lexical Semantics 〈360p〉

At its simplest, lexical semantics is the study of what mean and how they relate to one another within a language. While "sentential semantics" looks at how whole sentences gain meaning through structure, lexical semantics focuses on the "mental dictionary" (lexicon) we all carry in our heads.

: Words rarely have a single "core" meaning. Instead, they have a range of potential meanings that shift depending on context. Why Does It Matter Today?

: This explores how word meanings overlap or contrast. Common examples include:

is when one word has multiple related meanings (like "guard" or "music").

: A "type of" relationship (e.g., a robin is a hyponym of bird ). Polysemy vs. Homonymy :

: Words with opposite meanings (e.g., hot and cold ).

It’s the reason we can instantly tell the difference between "The fairy godmother waved her baguette" and "The fairy godmother's baguette waved her." The Building Blocks of Word Meaning