Difference Between Semantics And Pragmatics With Examples. Pragmatics takes semantics one step further because it s the study of the meaning of sentences within a certain context. Semantics is a branch of linguistics concerned with the meaning of morphemes words phrases and sentences and their relation.
The main difference between semantics and pragmatics is that the semantics studies the meaning of words and their meaning within sentences whereas the pragmatics studies the same words and meanings but with emphasis on their context as well. Pragmatics use three major communication skills. An example of semantics is the word man which can be defined as a male adult or could be represented as a human being.
However pragmatics involves the procedural process with the focus on the connection between the language uttered and the context in which it is used while semantics entails the conceptual process by concentrating on the meaning of expressions blakemore 2002.
Although semantics is concerned only with the exact literal meaning of the words and their interrelations pragmatic usage focuses on the inferred meaning that the speakers and listeners perceive. For example human pathogen pseudomonas. He was so tired he could sleep for days. However pragmatics involves the procedural process with the focus on the connection between the language uttered and the context in which it is used while semantics entails the conceptual process by concentrating on the meaning of expressions blakemore 2002.
