Talk:Lexical semantics

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[edit] Definition

Believe it or not, in Linguistics, so-called "Lexical Semantics" is NOT the study of the meanings of word. It is, roughly, the study of how the semantic organization of the lexicon interacts with syntax. (I have taken several courses on lexical semantics. I am still waiting to be told the meaning of a single word.) 171.64.42.82 06:16, 11 Dec 2003 (UTC)

The article below tells us that lexical semantics is the study of word meaning and its representation in the lexicon. Perhaps this reflects a more implementation oriented view of computational linguistics. Hirzel 12:17, 24 Jun 2005 (UTC)
The intro states that LS is a theory of denotation. That is , at the best, a small part of the truth (as shown by the Morning Star paradox) (He thinks the Morning Star is (not) the Evening Star, but the names denote the same entity). I agree with 171.64... above, who expects lexical semantics to tell what the words mean. We study words, not things (denotata). One relevant theoretician is Anna Wierzbicka, another tradition (when it is at its best) can be found within lexicography. Trondtr 17:38, 10 August 2006 (UTC).

[edit] Resources

  1. http://omni.cc.purdue.edu/~vraskin/Choices-TR.pdf Ten choices for lexical semantics;

Hirzel 12:14, 24 Jun 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Point of contention

The current article states: "Lexical units are the words so lexical semantics involves the meaning of each individual word. Lexical semantics is the one area of linguistics to which we can continually add throughout our lives, as we are always learning new words and their meanings whereas we can only learn the rules of our native language during the critical period when we are young."

Many would raise issue with this statement. The concepts of critical periods, and the limitations on learning native language at a young age, are not completely agreed upon. Many would argue that all languaging is an ongoing process, not just the learning of new words. We are forever reassessing our conception of our native language. Be careful with statements like "lexical semantics is the ONE area..."; it's just not that clear.

71.70.188.146 19:11, 29 October 2006 (UTC)