Language Level 1: Lexis and Semantics

Lexis refers to the vocabulary of a language. This includes single word items, compound words, multi-word units or idioms.
Semantics is the study of meanings in language. It explores how words, sentences, and texts convey meaning.
Lexical fields are groups of words related by subject or theme. For example, a lexical field of cooking may include words such as ‘stir’, ‘boil’, ‘bake’, ‘roast’.
Denotation is the literal or primary meaning of a word – the ‘dictionary definition’. For instance, ‘apple’ denotes a type of fruit.
Connotation is the idea or feeling a word invokes in addition to its primary meaning. For example, ‘home’ may connote comfort, safety and belonging.
Synonyms are words that have similar or identical meanings, like ‘big’ and ‘large’.
Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings, like ‘hot’ and ‘cold’.
Hypernyms are words that represent a category or class of things. For example, ‘flower’ is a hypernym for ‘rose’, ‘tulip’, ‘daisy’, etc.
Hyponyms are words that are part of a category represented by another word. For example, ‘rose’, ‘tulip’, ‘daisy’ are hyponyms of ‘flower’.
Semantic fields are areas of meaning that certain words belong to - for example, the semantic field for the term ‘war’ might include ‘guns’, ‘battle’, ‘soldiers’, and ‘conflict’.
Euphemisms are words used to soften or disguise the true meaning of something. For instance, ‘passed away’ is a euphemism for ‘died’.
Dysphemisms are the opposite of euphemisms - they make situations appear worse or more explicit. For example, ‘kick the bucket’ is a dysphemism for ‘to die’.
Collocation refers to the habitual position of words in relation to others. You wash your hands not clean your hands, for example.
Lexical choices can be analysed for their possible connotations, formality and to identify bias or attitude.
Understanding Lexis and Semantics is essential for understanding other language levels, such as Grammar, Discourse Structure, and Phonology.
Remember, Lexis and Semantics is only one part of understanding and analysing language. Other factors like context, audience, purpose of the text also matter.