Semantics is the study of meaning. It is a wide subject within the general study of language.

An understanding of semantics is essential to the study of language acquisition (how language users acquire a sense of meaning, as speakers and writers, listeners and readers) and of language change (how meanings alter over time). It is important for understanding language in social contexts, as these are likely to affect meaning, and for understanding varieties of English and effects of style. It is thus one of the most fundamental concepts in linguistics. One of important areas of semantic theory or related subjects synonym. Synonym is form of Greek nouns which mean, respectively, same name. We may find synonyms which have an identical reference meaning, but since they have differing connotations, they can never be truly synonymous. Some speakers will not be aware of synonyms, so cannot make a choice. But those with a wide lexicon will often choose between two, or among many, possible synonyms. This is an area of interest to semanticists. What are the differences of meaning in toilet, lavatory, WC, closet, privy, bog, dunny and so on

A synonym (adjective: synonymous) is a word, or phrase, that has the same (or almost the same) meaning as another, in some or all uses. Examples: car and automobile birth control and contraception baby and infant child and kid student and pupil sick and ill Synonyms can be nouns, verbs, adverbs or adjectives, but both words must be of the same part of speech. That means, only a noun can be a synonym of another noun, only a verb can be a synonym of another verb, and so on. One can find sets of synonyms in a thesaurus, which is a book listing groups of related words.

History The word "synonym" dates back over 500 years, to late Middle English. The term is derived from Latin from the Greek word sunnumon, neuter form (used as a noun) of the adjective sunnumos, from sun- meaning 'with' + onoma meaning 'name'

in the Greek language. The meaning of the word has remained unchanged for all these centuries. There is even a saying, going back to 1892, "Once a synonym, always a synonym". The word has been taught to generations of English-language students and is commonly known by the general public. Many other languages have a similar word for "synonym" with the same or similar spelling. http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synonym

Definitions Merriam-Webster (1913) Synonym 1. One of two or more words (commonly words of the same language) which are equivalents of each other; one of two or more words which have very nearly the same signification, and therefore may often be used interchangeably. See under Synonymous. All languages tend to clear themselves of synonyms as intellectual culture advances, the superfluous words being taken up and appropriated by new shades and combinations of thought evolved in the progress of society. De Quincey. In popular literary acceptation, and as employed in special dictionaries of such words, synonyms are words sufficiently alike in general signification to be liable to be confounded, but yet so different in special definition as to require to be distinguished. G. P. Marsh. 3. One of two or more words corresponding in meaning but of different languages; a heteronym. [Rare] http://dictionary.sensagent.com/synonym/en-en/