Semantics:
* Focus: Meaning of individual words and phrases.
* Level: Lexical and sentence level.
* Scope: Defines the literal meaning of a word or phrase, its relationship to other words, and how it contributes to the overall meaning of a sentence.
* Example: "The cat sat on the mat." Semantics helps us understand the individual meanings of "cat," "sat," "on," and "mat," and how they combine to form a complete sentence.
Discourse:
* Focus: Meaning and relationships within a longer stretch of text or conversation.
* Level: Beyond the sentence level.
* Scope: Considers the context of the communication, the speaker's intentions, and how the meaning of individual sentences contributes to the overall meaning of the entire discourse.
* Example: In a story, discourse analyzes how the plot, characters, and themes develop across multiple sentences and paragraphs.
The Relationship:
* Building Blocks: Semantics provides the building blocks for discourse. The meanings of individual words and phrases are essential for understanding the larger meaning of a discourse.
* Contextual Interpretation: Discourse uses semantic information to interpret the meaning of sentences in context. It considers factors like speaker intent, cultural background, and shared knowledge to build a deeper understanding of the message.
* Ambiguity Resolution: Discourse helps resolve ambiguities that arise from the meaning of words. A single sentence can have multiple interpretations based on the context of the entire discourse.
* Pragmatics: The study of how context affects meaning lies at the intersection of discourse and semantics. It examines how factors like speaker intent, social norms, and shared knowledge influence the interpretation of language.
In short, semantics provides the foundation for understanding individual words and phrases, while discourse builds on this foundation to analyze the meaning of longer stretches of language, considering the context and overall message.