What does Lexical Semantics study?

• A. The meanings of words and their relationships
• B. The order of words in sentences
• C. The spelling conventions
• D. The pronunciation of words

Answer: (A)

Lexical semantics centers on what words mean and how those meanings connect to one another. It explores how a word can carry multiple senses (polysemy) and how words relate through networks of meaning—synonyms, antonyms, broader/narrower terms (hypernyms and hyponyms), parts and wholes (meronyms), and other relational structures. It also considers how context influences meaning and how word meanings link to real-world references. By contrast, the order of words in sentences falls under syntax, spelling conventions cover orthography, and pronunciation deals with phonology. So the best answer is that lexical semantics studies the meanings of words and their relationships.