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.
: This explores how word meanings overlap or contrast. Common examples include: Lexical Semantics
: Words with similar meanings (e.g., happy and joyful ). At its simplest, lexical semantics is the study
is when two words sound the same but have entirely different, unrelated meanings (like "to," "too," and "two"). Common examples include: : Words with similar meanings (e
Why Words Matter: A Deep Dive into Lexical Semantics Have you ever stopped to wonder why the word "bank" can refer to a place where you keep your money and the edge of a river? Or why we say a person "runs," a refrigerator "runs," and even paint "runs," despite these actions being completely different?
: A "type of" relationship (e.g., a robin is a hyponym of bird ). Polysemy vs. Homonymy :