The part of Lexicology which studies the meaning and the development of meaning of words is called Semasiology. There are different approaches to the problem of word meaning in modern Semasiology: the referential, or denotational approach; functional, or contextual approach; and the new cognitive approach.
Analytical or referential definition of meaning:
The best known analytical model of meaning is the so-called «basic triangle»
So, if we hear a sound-form a certain idea arises in our mind and the idea brings out a certain referent that exists in the reality. But the sound-form and the referent are connected indirectly because there are no objects or phenomena in the reality that predict a certain sound- form. The strongest point in this approach is an attempt to link the notion of meaning with the process of naming the objects, processes or phenomena of concrete reality . The analytical definitions of meaning are usually criticized on the grounds that they cannot be applied to sentences.
Functional or contextual approach suggests that the meaning of a word is revealed by substituting different contexts. To get a better insight into the semantics of a word it is necessary to analyze as many contexts in which it is realized as possible. The question may arise - what amount of material is sufficient to make a reliable conclusion about the meaning of a word ? In practice a scholar is guided by intuition, besides, there are contexts which are so infrequent that they can hardly be registered. Nevertheless the functional approach to meaning is important because it emphasizes the fact that words are seldom if ever used in isolation and thus the meaning of a word is revealed only when it is realized in a context. But on the whole the functional approach may be described as a complimentary, additional to the referential one.
Cognitive approach to semantics deals with the theory of prototype, framing (Fillmore) and others.
