Conceptual semantics

Conceptual semantics is a framework for semantic analysis developed mainly by <a href="/facts/Ray_Jackendoff/T9rKpW9q">Ray Jackendoff</a> in 1976. Its aim is to provide a characterization of the conceptual elements by which a person understands words and sentences, and thus to provide an explanatory semantic representation (title of a Jackendoff 1976 paper). Explanatory in this sense refers to the ability of a given linguistic theory to describe how a component of language is acquired by a child (as proposed by <a href="/facts/Noam_Chomsky/3rtpzlER">Noam Chomsky</a>; see <a href="/facts/Levels_of_adequacy/hFnEyXca">Levels of adequacy</a>).
Recently, conceptual semantics in particular, and <a href="/facts/Lexical_semantics/CyyMMxuK">lexical semantics</a> in general, have taken on increasing importance in linguistics and psycholinguistics. Many contemporary theories of <a href="/facts/Syntax/6PxSV98p">syntax</a> (how sentences are constructed from individual words) rely on elements that are idiosyncratic to words themselves. As a result, a sound theory accounting for the properties of the meanings of words is required.

Conceptual semantics open-in-new

Conceptual semantics