semasiological
Definition
Adjective: Relating to semasiology, the branch of linguistics that studies meaning from the perspective of words or expressions, focusing on how words develop and change in meaning over time, as opposed to onomasiology, which starts with concepts and looks at their names.
Usage Examples
- (It traces the historical changes in meaning of a specific word.)
- (It organizes entries by word form, not by idea.)
Advanced Usage
"semasiological analysis": a method of studying lexical semantics that focuses on the polysemy (multiple meanings) of a single word.
- In their semasiological analysis, the researchers traced the evolution of "mouse" from a rodent to a computer device. (They examined how one word acquired new meanings.)
"semasiological field": a set of meanings associated with a particular word or expression.
- The semasiological field of "run" includes over 100 distinct senses, ranging from physical movement to operating a machine. (The range of meanings for that word.)
Variants and Related Words
Semasiology (noun): the study of meaning as it relates to words and their changes.
- Semasiology is a key subfield of historical linguistics. (It focuses on word-meaning relationships.)
Semasiologically (adverb): in a manner relating to semasiology.
- The word was analyzed semasiologically to show its semantic shifts. (It was studied from the perspective of word meaning.)
Synonyms
- Semantic (in a narrow sense): relating to meaning in language, though "semantic" is broader.
- Lexical-semantic: pertaining to the meaning of words specifically.
Related Idioms
- "Semasiological vs. onomasiological": a common contrast in linguistics between two approaches to meaning.
- The semasiological perspective asks "What does this word mean?" while the onomasiological asks "How do we name this concept?" (It highlights the difference in starting points.)