I need an education in semantics - can someone help?

[ThomWV]

I would very much like a quick lesson on the relationship between pragmatics, semantics, and syntactics. If my understanding is correct semantics refers to the relationship between signs and the things they represent, but how does that relate to the other two?

[depakid]

1. Won't be quick, but a few classic works on point are:

Words and things: http://www.amazon.com/Words-Things-Examination-Linguistic-Philosophy/dp/0415345480

Language in Thought and Action: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_in_Thought_and_Action

Pragmatics of Human Communication: http://www.amazon.com/Pragmatics-Human-Communication-Interactional-Pathologies/dp/0393010090%3FSubscriptionId%3D0JRA4J6WAV0RTAZVS6R2%26tag%3Dworldcat-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0393010090

[BlooInBloo]

2. lol! Big question, and there's only 1 or 2 people here who can answer it decently.

If you just want the bullshit we usually tell undergrads though, something like this is typical:

http://www.trinity.edu/cbrown/language/distinctions.html

[RoyGBiv]

3. Quick and dirty ...

Semantics - What a word, phrase, or sentence means.

Pragmatics - What a word, phrase, or sentence means given varying contexts.

Syntactics - This is effectively synonymous with grammar.

As a matter of semantics, "Main Street" is easily recognized as the street labeled "Main."

As a matter of pragmatics, the specific street to which this the word "Main" refers changes depending on your location.

Syntax dictates that we place the word "Main" prior to the word "Street" in the above construction.

OnEdit: The links offered above are better than my explanation.

[BlooInBloo]

4. Complete and utter fail. Go learn the difference between use and mention.

[RoyGBiv]

5. Really ...

That came from the mouth of an English professor as a "quick and dirty" explanation.

As I noted, however, the links provided are better answers. The relationships clearly cannot be distilled into a few sentences.

OnEdit: This is rather humorous. After reading the link you provided, the explanation given above is basically a very brief paraphrase of that page.

[BlooInBloo]

6. Ah. English prof. 'Nuff said.

And I'm sorry you have no idea what counts as a "brief paraphrase" and what doesn't.

In particular, until you can tell the difference between the following two, you shouldn't speak on this subject:

1) As a matter of semantics, "Main Street" is easily recognized as the street labeled "Main."

2) As a matter of semantics, Main Street is easily recognized as the street labeled "Main."

[RoyGBiv]

7. Yes, of course ...

The "English professor" to whom I referred probably wrote one of the books sitting on your shelf, if in fact you have any actual knowledge of this subject, but no matter. She's laughing at you, actually.

I'll leave this place now. I know better than to tread where the great Bloo's trillion dollar ego has gone.

Good day and goodbye.

[BlooInBloo]

9. It's not about ego. It's about getting shit right...

And since neither you nor the English prof are capable of getting so basic a matter as use-mention straight, and since that distinction is one of the things at the heart of what the OP asked for, you and the English prof have in fact done nothing but try to make Americans stupider. Please stop.

Oh - and I'm 100% certain that none of the English prof's books are on my shelf.

[snagglepuss]

8. .