Which term focuses on literal word and sentence meanings, independent of context?

• A. Semantics
• B. Pragmatics
• C. Syntax
• D. Morphology

Answer: (A)

Literal word and sentence meanings independent of context are studied in semantics. Semantics looks at what words denote and how those meanings combine to form the overall meaning of a sentence, including truth conditions and reference. It handles the inherent meaning of terms like “dog,” “bark,” and how they come together to convey a factual proposition, regardless of who is saying it or the situation. When we bring in context, speaker intent, or implied messages, that shifts into pragmatics, which deals with meaning beyond the literal. The other areas focus on different aspects: syntax is about how words are arranged to form grammatical sentences, and morphology is about the smallest units of meaning within words and how they are formed. So, the term describing literal meanings without context is semantics.