The field of linguistics that focuses on the study of the meanings of words and other morphemes, as well as how the meanings of phrases derive from them is called semantics.
Here's a breakdown of each option and why "semantics" is the correct choice:
1. Semantics: This field of linguistics deals with the meaning of words, phrases, and sentences. It explores how words and their combinations convey meaning and how context influences interpretation. For example, understanding that "hot" can refer to temperature or spiciness depending on the context involves semantic analysis.
2. Morphology: This area of linguistics focuses on the study of the structure of words and how they are formed. It examines morphemes, the smallest units of meaning within a language, and how they combine to create words. While morphology is essential for understanding word formation, it does not primarily deal with meanings.
3. Pragmatics: Pragmatics in linguistics is concerned with how language is used in context and how meaning is interpreted beyond the literal words spoken. It investigates how people infer meaning through implicatures, presuppositions, and speech acts. While pragmatics is crucial for understanding language use, it is not specifically about the study of word meanings.
4. Syntax: Syntax is the branch of linguistics that studies the structure of sentences and how words are combined to create grammatical phrases and sentences. It focuses on rules governing word order, sentence structure, and relationships between elements. Syntax is concerned with the arrangement of words rather than their meanings.
In conclusion, the field that specifically delves into the meanings of words, phrases, and morphemes is semantics. It plays a fundamental role in understanding how language conveys meaning and how we interpret linguistic expressions.
