Summary |
A
linguistic phenomenon is labeled ‘semantic’ when it is appropriately characterized
or explained by reference to the semantic properties of expressions – such as
having a particular reference or truth conditions, or expressing a particular
concept or proposition – and semantic relations between expressions – such as
being co-referential or synonymous. Disputes in philosophy and linguistics frequently
arise over whether a given phenomenon is genuinely semantic, or whether it is
better explained in, say, syntactic or pragmatic terms. (This is true of many
of the phenomena included here as subcategories, such as opacity, metaphor and
various sorts of apparent context-dependence.) Such disputes partly reflect
disagreements over the best way to explain the phenomenon in question;
frequently, they also reflect foundational disagreements about what constitutes
the subject matter of semantics. |