Semasiology

{{Short description|Branch of linguistics about what words mean}}

{{Use American English|date = February 2019}}

{{Use mdy dates|date = February 2019}}

Semasiology (from {{langx|el|σημασία}}, {{Transliteration|la|semasia}}, "signification") is a discipline of linguistics concerned with the question "what does the word X mean?". It studies the meaning of words regardless how they are pronounced.[http://feb-web.ru/feb/slt/abc/lt2/lt2-7632.htm Словарь литературных терминов, семасиология (ru. Dictionary of literary terms, semasiology)] It is the opposite of onomasiology, a branch of lexicology that starts with a concept or object and asks for its name, i.e., "how do you express X?" whereas semasiology starts with a word and asks for its meanings.

The exact meaning of semasiology is somewhat obscure. It is often used as a synonym of semantics{{Broken anchor|date=2025-04-28|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=Semantics#Linguistics|reason=Anchor "Semantics#Linguistics" links to a specific web page: "Linguistics". The anchor (Linguistics) has been deleted.|diff_id=1207754288}} (the study of the meaning of words, phrases, and longer forms of expression).[https://archive.today/20070108095538/http://www.cultinfo.ru/fulltext/1/001/008/101/067.htm Semasiologia, Culture at Vologda region] However, semasiology is also sometimes considered part of lexical semantics, a narrow subfield of lexicology (the study of words) and semantics.

The term was first used in German by Christian Karl Reisig in 1825 in his work, [Lectures on Latin Linguistics] ({{langx|de|links=no|Vorlesungen über lateinische Sprachwissenschaft}}), and was used in English by 1847. Semantics replaced it in its original meaning, beginning in 1893.