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    History of Semantics

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    lulusaeed419
    The study of meaning in language has a long history, dating back to ancient Greece. Semantics became an independent branch of linguistics in the 19th century. Lexicography has played an essential role in the study of meaning. Ferdinand de Saussure's work sparked an interest in structure in semantics.

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    History of Semantics

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    lulusaeed419
    26 views3 pages
    The study of meaning in language has a long history, dating back to ancient Greece. Semantics became an independent branch of linguistics in the 19th century. Lexicography has played an essential role in the study of meaning. Ferdinand de Saussure's work sparked an interest in structure in semantics.

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    history of semantics

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    The study of meaning in language has a long history, dating back to ancient Greece. Semantics became an independent branch of linguistics in the 19th century. Lexicography has played an essential role in the study of meaning. Ferdinand de Saussure's work sparked an interest in structure in semantics.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    26 views3 pages

    History of Semantics

    Uploaded by

    lulusaeed419
    The study of meaning in language has a long history, dating back to ancient Greece. Semantics became an independent branch of linguistics in the 19th century. Lexicography has played an essential role in the study of meaning. Ferdinand de Saussure's work sparked an interest in structure in semantics.

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    History of semantics

    The study of meaning in language has a long history, dating back to ancient
    Greece. Early philosophers debated whether the meaning of words was natural
    (physei) or conventional (thesei). Plato and Aristotle made significant
    contributions to the study of meaning, and the Stoics developed a theory of the
    linguistic sign that anticipated Ferdinand de Saussure's work.

    During the Middle Ages, the Modistae philosophers wrote about the "modi
    intelligendi" and the "modi significandi", or the ways in which we know things and
    the ways in which we signify them.

    It was not until the 19th century that semantics became an independent branch of
    linguistics. The German linguist Christian Karl Reisig is credited with formulating
    the object of study of the new science of meaning, which he called semasiology.
    Michel Bréal's 1897 book Essay de sémantique is considered the founding work of
    modern semantics.

    Bréal's work was influenced by classical logic, rhetoric, and psychology. He


    identified specific laws governing the evolution of meaning, such as extension of
    meaning, narrowing of definition, transfer of meaning, degradation of meaning,
    and elevation of meaning.

    Lexicography has also played an essential role in the study of meaning.


    Monolingual and bilingual dictionaries provide evidence for the categories and
    principles used in the study of meaning, such as polysemy, synonymy, homonymy,
    antonymy, and the laws of semantic change.

    In Romania, the study of language meaning has a long tradition. Dimitrie Cantemir
    contributed to the discussion of the difference between categorematic and
    syncategorematic words, and B. P. Hasdeu's Magnum Etymologicum Romaniae is
    considered one of the great lexicographic works of the time.

    In 1887, Lazar Saineanu published Incercare asupra semasiologiei limbei romane.


    Studii istorice despre tranzitiunea sensurilor, one of the first works on semantics to
    be published anywhere. Saineanu used psychology to identify the semantic
    associations established among words and the "logical laws and affinities"
    governing the evolution of words and language.
    The publication of Ferdinand de Saussure's Cours de linguistique générale in 1916
    sparked an interest in structure in semantics.

    Summary:

    The study of meaning in language has a long history, dating back to ancient
    Greece.

    Semantics became an independent branch of linguistics in the 19th century.

    Lexicography has played an essential role in the study of meaning.

    In Romania, the study of language meaning has a long tradition.

    Ferdinand de Saussure's work sparked an interest in structure in semantics.

    Daygram of the History of Semantics

    Ancient Greece

    Philosophers debate the problem of how words acquire their meaning (physei vs.
    thesei)

    Plato and Aristotle make significant contributions to the study of meaning

    Middle Ages

    Modistae philosophers write about the modi intelligendi and the modi significandi

    Lexicography attains high standards (e.g., Magnum Etymologicum Romaniae by


    B. P. Hasdeu)

    1800s

    Semantics becomes an independent branch of linguistics

    Christian Karl Reisig formulates the object of study of semasiology

    Michel Bréal publishes Essay de sémantique, the founding work of modern


    semantics
    1887

    Lazar Saineanu publishes Incercare asupra semasiologiei limbei romane. Studii


    istorice despre tranzitiunea sensurilor, one of the first works on semantics to be
    published anywhere

    1916

    Ferdinand de Saussure's Cours de linguistique générale is published, sparking an


    interest in structure in the field of semantics

    Daygram:

    Ancient Greece: Physei vs. thesei, Plato and Aristotle

    Middle Ages: Modistae, lexicography

    1800s: Independent discipline, Reisig, Bréal

    1887: Saineanu

    1916: Saussure

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