se·man·tics | \ si-ˈman-tiks
plural in form but singular or plural in construction
1 : the study of meanings:
a : the historical and psychological study and the classification of changes in the signification of words or forms viewed as factors in linguistic development
[2] : a branch of semiotics dealing with the relations between signs and what they refer to and including theories of denotation, extension, naming, and truth
3a : the meaning or relationship of meanings of a sign or set of signs especially : connotative meaning
b : the language used [as in advertising or political propaganda] to achieve a desired effect on an audience especially through the use of words with novel or dual meanings
A linguist is someone who studies language. Linguists study every aspect of language, including vocabulary, grammar, the sound of language, and how words evolve over time.
The study of language is called linguistics, and people who study linguistics are linguists. Being a linguist isn't easy; you usually have to go to graduate school and conduct research about a specific aspect of language. There are computational linguists, forensic linguists, comparative linguists, and many other specialties. If you love language, you'd probably enjoy a career as a linguist.
Definitions of linguist
noun
a specialist in linguistics
synonyms: linguistic scientist
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examples:show 27 examples...hide 27 examples... Leonard Bloomfield
United States linguist who adopted a behavioristic approach to linguistics [1887-1949]
A. Noam ChomskyUnited States linguist whose theory of generative grammar redefined the field of linguistics [born 1928]
Ferdinand de SaussureSwiss linguist and expert in historical linguistics whose lectures laid the foundations for synchronic linguistics [1857-1913]
John Rupert FirthEnglish linguist who contributed to linguistic semantics and to prosodic phonology and who was noted for his insistence on studying both sound and meaning in context [1890-1960]
Jakob Ludwig Karl Grimmthe older of the two Grimm brothers remembered best for their fairy stories; also author of Grimm's law describing consonant changes in Germanic languages [1785-1863]
Roman Osipovich JakobsonUnited States linguist [born in Russia] noted for his description of the universals of phonology [1896-1982]
Jens Otto Harry JespersenDanish linguist [1860-1943]
Edward Sapiranthropologist and linguist; studied languages of North American Indians [1884-1939]
Aristarchusan ancient Greek grammarian remembered for his commentary on the Iliad and Odyssey [circa 217-145 BC]
Nathaniel BaileyEnglish lexicographer who was the first to treat etymology consistently; his work was used as a reference by Samuel Johnson [died in 1742]
Alexander Melville Bella phonetician and father of Alexander Graham Bell [1819-1905]
Sir William Alexander CraigieEnglish lexicographer who was a joint editor of the Oxford English Dictionary [1872-1966]
Aelius DonatusRoman grammarian whose textbook on Latin grammar was used throughout the Middle Ages [fourth century]
John FlorioEnglish lexicographer remembered for his Italian and English dictionary [1553-1625]
Henry Watson FowlerEnglish lexicographer who wrote a well-known book on English usage [1858-1933]
English writer and lexicographer [1709-1784]
Daniel JonesEnglish phonetician [1881-1967]
Alfred Habdank Skarbek KorzybskiUnited States semanticist [born in Poland] [1879-1950]
Pierre Athanase LarousseFrench lexicographer [1817-1875]
Maximilien Paul Emile LittreFrench lexicographer [1801-1881]
Sir James Augustus Henry MurrayScottish philologist and the lexicographer who shaped the Oxford English Dictionary [1837-1915]
Charles Kay OgdenEnglish psychologist who collaborated with I. A. Richards in designing Basic English [1889-1957]
PaniniIndian grammarian whose grammatical rules for Sanskrit are the first known example of descriptive linguistics [circa 400 BC]
Ivor Armstrong RichardsEnglish literary critic who collaborated with C. K. Ogden and contributed to the development of Basic English [1893-1979]
Henry SweetEnglish phonetician; one of the founders of modern phonetics [1845-1912]
Noah WebsterUnited States lexicographer [1758-1843]
Joseph Emerson WorcesterUnited States lexicographer who was accused of plagiarism by Noah Webster [1784-1865]
types:show 15 types...hide 15 types... computational linguistsomeone trained in computer science and linguistics who uses computers for natural language processing
grammarian, syntacticiana linguist who specializes in the study of grammar and syntax
Hebraistlinguist specializing in the Hebrew language
lexicographer, lexicologista compiler or writer of a dictionary; a student of the lexical component of language
neurolinguistsomeone trained in neuroscience and linguistics who studies brain processes during language production and reception
phoneticiana specialist in phonetics
phonologista specialist in phonology
a person [usually a psychologist but sometimes a linguist] who studies the psychological basis of human language
semanticist, semioticiana specialist in the study of meaning
sociolinguista linguist who studies the social and cultural factors that influence linguistic communication
etymologista lexicographer who specializes in etymology
neologista lexicographer of new words and expressions
orthoepista practitioner of orthoepy [especially one of the 17th or 18th century scholars who proposed to reform English spelling so it would reflect pronunciation more closely]
synonymista student of synonyms
transcribersomeone who represents the sounds of speech in phonetic notation
type of: scientista person with advanced knowledge of one or more sciences
noun
a person who speaks more than one language
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