2018
Overview
Semantics and pragmatics are two interconnected branches of linguistics that study meaning in language. Semantics examines the literal, conventional meanings of words, phrases, and sentences—what linguistic expressions mean independent of context. Pragmatics investigates how context shapes interpretation, including how speakers convey and listeners infer meanings that go beyond the literal content of utterances. Research published in Language Research on this topic explores how meaning operates in digital communication environments, particularly examining language use in online spaces where traditional boundaries between written and spoken discourse blur. One study investigates the phenomenon of internet-specific language varieties and their semantic-pragmatic features in cyberspace, analyzing how digital communities develop distinctive ways of conveying meaning that reflect both the technological affordances of online platforms and the social dynamics of virtual interaction. This research area matters because understanding how meaning is constructed and interpreted across different communicative contexts—especially in increasingly prevalent digital environments—provides insight into fundamental questions about human language capacity, social interaction, and the evolving nature of linguistic communication in contemporary society.
Research published in this journal
1 peer-reviewed article, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.