THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEMANTICS AND LINGUISTICS

Semantics is the branch of linguistics concerned with the study of
meaning at the level of words, phrases, and sentences.
Fundamentally, it examines how linguistic expressions are connected
to non-linguistic concepts and mental representations, enabling
language users to interpret and understand utterances (Lyons,
1977). In this sense, semantics seeks to explain how meaning is
encoded in language and how speakers and listeners make sense of
linguistic forms.
As a core component of linguistic theory, semantics investigates
meaning not only in natural language but also in codes, symbols, and
other representational systems. It is therefore commonly defined as
the systematic study of meaning in language (Crystal, 2008).
However, meaning cannot be fully understood in isolation. For this
reason, semantics is closely related to syntax, which deals with how
smaller linguistic units are combined to form larger structures, and
pragmatics, which examines how meaning is influenced by context,
speaker intention, and social interaction (Leech, 1981). Together,
these three aspects contribute to a comprehensive understanding of
how language functions as a system for communication.