What is the term for the knowledge about words, their meanings, use, and relationships?

What is the term for the knowledge about words, their meanings, use, and relationships?

• A. Lexicon
• B. Grammar
• C. Phonology
• D. Semantics

Answer: (A)

The knowledge about words, their meanings, use, and relationships is the lexicon—the mental dictionary of a language. It includes what a word means, how it’s used in different contexts, how it changes form, and how words relate to one another (such as synonyms, antonyms, or word-family connections). This is different from semantics, which studies meaning at the level of words and sentences; grammar, which covers rules for word order and structure; and phonology, which deals with sound systems. For example, knowing that a word can have multiple senses and how it combines with other words in typical expressions lives in the lexicon.

The knowledge about words, their meanings, use, and relationships is the lexicon—the mental dictionary of a language. It includes what a word means, how it’s used in different contexts, how it changes form, and how words relate to one another (such as synonyms, antonyms, or word-family connections). This is different from semantics, which studies meaning at the level of words and sentences; grammar, which covers rules for word order and structure; and phonology, which deals with sound systems. For example, knowing that a word can have multiple senses and how it combines with other words in typical expressions lives in the lexicon.