The Brief History of Semantics

Alfred Korzybski was the first to try to learn the semantics , he is not a linguist . Before introducing his Korzybski , semantics have seen from the perspective of non- scientific . But Korzybski was the first to make a scientific model for studying semantics .Korzybski began to describe all entities and reality by giving them labels . He went further to name the group into three . He has names for common objects such as chairs , rocks , cows etc. He also has a label for the group and the collection as ' nation , animals , humans , etc. The third group did not have a label Korzybski referents that can be identified in the outside world .

These labels are highly abstract and do not readily lend themselves to the assignment of concrete reality. These labels are only assignable to concrete realities by imagination. Such labels include but are not limited to freedom, love, democracy etc. They feature in aesthetics, philosophy and politics. However, this is not the same with common objects since there seems to be a direct correspondence between items and linguistic expressions. It is interesting to also know that a serious difficulty tends to be posed by labels for groups as a result of the wide range of items within the group. The main challenge with abstract labels stems from the fact that meaning does not have an objective reference in reality because different people will react to different words differently. For instance, the word “love” would be viewed differently by different people as a result of their circumstance or present reality. One person who probably is in a loving relationship will view it positively while another in an unfulfilled relationship will view it negatively. Hence, their reactions will be different and will therefore evoke different emotions from them.

Odgen and Richards introduced the concept referent to describe the physical object or situation which the word identifies in the real world. They pointed out that the representation or situation should be seen as a referent while the actual pronunciation or orthographic representation will constitute the symbol. For example, the figure or silhouette of an adult female human being will .e the referent while the word used to describe the referent will constitute the symbol. The symbol is similar to Korzybski’s
concept of label. Since the world is dynamic, the study of semantics has not been left out.
One of such areas that have remained dynamic among others is the concept of change in
meaning. Semantics has been at the fore in the study of change in meaning. As early as
1933, Bloomfield observed a system of change in the meaning of words. Instances of
change in meaning of words overtime:

1.        Meat used to represent all types of food

2.        Bitter derives from the metaphor of biting

3.        The meaning of astound derives from the weakened meaning of thunder

4.        The meaning of knight has been an elevation of the concept of boy

5.        The word mony relates to the Latin moneo [warn] or admonish because money was made in Rome at the temple of the goddess, Junto Moneta

6.        Tanks in modem warfare derived their names from the 1914 — 1918 war in vhich the Germans were deceived into believing that the structures being moved around were just water tanks

7.        The modem word car originated from the word chariot
Etymology, which focuses on the discovery of the origin and earlier meanings of words, also played an important role in earlier studies in semantics. However, it should be noted that there is a challenge with etymological studies. The major one being that no one can state with certainty the origin of the meaning of any word.