ENGLISH SYNTAX ASSIGNMENT ONE APRIL 2017

HENOK SHIHEPO NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE BACHELOR OF ENGLISH

AND TECHNOLOGY 216031494@STUDENT,NUST.NA
ENGLISH SYNTAX ASSIGNMENT ONE APRIL 2017

The difference between Syntax and Semantics

The terms Syntax and Semantics apply to several different fields such as Linguistics, Computer
science and in the Philosophy of Languages. This essay will deliberate on the differences and
some commonalities to the meanings of these terms, and their relationship as well.
According to Rebeca Vera (2010), “Syntax is the study of sentence structure. It attempts to
describe what is grammatical in a particular language in term of rules”. These rules detail an
underlying structure and a transformational process. The underlying structure of English for
example would have a subject-verb-object sentence order (Henok Kick the ball). The
transformational process would enable a modification of the word order which could give you
something like The ball was kicked by Henok, on the other hand, Semantics is the study of
meaning. It is anxious with describing how we epitomize the meaning of a word in our mind
and how we use this representation in building sentences. "Semantics is based largely on the
study of logic in philosophy" (Widdowson, H.G.1996).

The Carneades organization emphasis that Syntax of a certain language is its grammar,
meaning that every language has its Syntactic rules of what kinds of words, part of a language
or vocabulary you can put in what order. For example in English you cannot have four nouns
following each other and call it a sentence. “Teeth sugar apple dog”. Just like in Mathematics
there are orders in which symbols can be put together. E.g. if you have “=4+5>” then it is a
wrong syntax. In terms of linguistic, Syntax is the rules of a language in terms of grammar.
However, a particular string of vocabulary is incorrect Syntax in one language, but it can be
correct in another language. E.g. “car on part” this may be incorrect syntax for English, but it is
correct in French syntax.

Syntax being the study of words combination to form sentences and the rules, which govern
the formation of sentences, made to be regarded as the grammatical arrangement of words in
sentence. It concerns both word order and agreement in the relationship between words.
"Syntax is primarily concerned with structure of sentences. A normal sentence in English usually
contains at least three elements namely: subject, verb, and object"( Rebeca Vera 2010). One of
the examples of a descriptive rule of English syntax is that in the imperative in English, the verb
takes the initial position in the sentence, usually directly before the noun which is the object.
e.g. Submit your assignment on Friday.

That reminds me the distinction between grammar and syntax, that Syntax is just a component
of grammar. Speaking of grammar, it is refers to the whole structure of the language including
the naming of its parts, its rules of tense, and its sound system. Meaning that it is a
comprehensive term, while Syntax only refers to the relationship between the grammatical
components of language in use. Meaning that words are the nature, quality or type of
relationship between terms in any given statement which is the province of syntax.

HENOK SHIHEPO NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE BACHELOR OF ENGLISH

AND TECHNOLOGY 216031494@STUDENT,NUST.NA
ENGLISH SYNTAX ASSIGNMENT ONE APRIL 2017

On the other hand there is the study of the relationship between words and meanings. Some
scholars defines Semantics as the empirical study of words and sentences meanings in certain
language. The field of semantics has three basic concerns: the relations of words to the objects
they denote, the relations of words to their interpreters, and in symbolic logic.
According to The Great Soviet Encyclopaedia (1979), "in linguistic semantics, the elementary
object of study consists of the three elements of the linguistic signs. In this case words are
considered in their unity". The external element, this is the sequence of sounds or graphic signs.
It is linked with a signified object or phenomenon of reality and with the referent. It is also
linked with the signified, which is the reflection of that object or phenomenon in human
consciousness. The signified is the result of the social understanding of reality and is usually
identical to a concept or mental representation. The three way link of signifier, denotatum and
signified, constitutes the category of meaning and the basic unit of semantics.
These tripartite units enter into regular and systemic relationships with one another. One unit
may be compared to another on the basis of one of the three elements: the signified (in the
case of synonyms), the signifier (in the case of homonyms),and the denotatum and referent (in
the case of a special form of synonymy known as transformation or periphrasis).Synonymy,
homonymy, periphrasis (transformation), and polysemy form the basis of the systemic quality
in semantics. "The systemic qualities are demonstrated clearly in relatively small groups of
words that are similar in one respect (in which they are synonyms) and opposed in another (in
which they are antonyms). Such groupings, are dissimilar depending on the language,
constitute structural oppositions. E.g. the Russian words ekhat (“to go [by vehicle]”), idti (“to
go [on foot]”) plyt’ (“to swim,” “to go [by boat]”), and letet’ (“to fly”) have a common feature of
“human locomotion” , but they are opposed as regards the feature of means of locomotion"
Foster,J,F(2002) . Such features within groups are studied and described as components of
meaning or semantic factors.
Elementary word groups may be combined in a relationship of content, forming thematic
groups and semantic and lexical fields. E.g. all the means of expressing the concept of anger in a
given language constitute the lexical semantic field anger. Semantics seeks to provide a
complete description of the semantic system of a given language in the form of a thesaurus.
The thesaurus vividly demonstrates that semantics preserves what results from the reflection
and comprehension of the objective world in human social practice. For example, the concepts
“to be,” “to have,” “time,” “form,” and “content,” which were developed in European culture,
may be represented differently or not at all in other cultures.

HENOK SHIHEPO NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE BACHELOR OF ENGLISH

AND TECHNOLOGY 216031494@STUDENT,NUST.NA
 ENGLISH SYNTAX ASSIGNMENT ONE APRIL 2017

There is what we called Lexical semantics, it concerned with the meanings of words and the
meaning of relationships among words, there is also a phrasal semantics that concerned with
the meaning of syntactic units larger than the word, and that brings in the relationship in
Syntax and semantics (Fromkin.p.193.2011). The moment syntax and semantics are connected
then Pragmatics cannot be 12drown apart from them due to the fact that it is the study of how
context affects meaning, such as how sentences are interpreted in certain situations. Semantic
properties are the components of meanings of words. For example, the semantic property
"human" can be found in many words such as parent, doctor, baby, professor, widow, and
aunt. Other semantic properties include animate objects, male, female, countable items and
non-countable items.
In contrast, Syntax is simply the rules that governs the sentences architecture in a language,
meaning that every written and spoken language in the world has its own syntax rules. Syntax
concern the colocation or agreement and the order of the words in the sentences, while
semantics is in charge of meaning judgement of what is arranged by the rules of Syntax, thus
there is the meaning of words and the meaning of the relationship among words and there is
also the meaning of the syntactic units greater than the words, in short terms, we have the
Lexical and Phrasal semantics. Having said all above, that shows slide distinction between
Syntax and Semantics, although there are some facts that shows the interweavement of Syntax
and Semantic in human's languages.

References

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HENOK SHIHEPO NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE BACHELOR OF ENGLISH

AND TECHNOLOGY 216031494@STUDENT,NUST.NA
ENGLISH SYNTAX ASSIGNMENT ONE APRIL 2017

HENOK SHIHEPO NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE BACHELOR OF ENGLISH

AND TECHNOLOGY 216031494@STUDENT,NUST.NA