International Journal of English Language and Linguistics Research Vol.7, No 2, pp. 1-9, March 2019 Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org) 1 Print ISSN: 2053-6305(Print), Online ISSN: 2053-6313(online) MEANING AND SEMANTIC ROLES OF WORDS IN CONTEXT Joseph Akanya, Kogi State University, Anyigba, Nigeria Clement Gowon Omachonu (PhD) Kogi State University, Anyigba, Nigeria ABSTRACT: It is quite imperative to note that meaning has a significant role to play in human communication. Consequent upon this fact, semantics as a field of study has become an issue of debate. Linguists are still in oblivion with regard to consensus on single and workable definition of semantics. This controversy has led to several unending attempts to define semantics. The emphasis of this study is centred on the semantic roles of words in a given context upholding extentionalist opinion as a background or theoretical framework. The theory states that language constitutes words put together in a context to enhance communication within those who live and share the linguistic bounds. In the light of the above, the study focuses basically on the roles words in communication in a given situation. Technical terms such as agent, theme, and instrument among others are for the benefit of analytical purposes. The study restates that every lexical word has meaning, but its social application has implication on our day to day communication. KEYWORDS: Words, Meaning, Semantics, Semantic Roles. INTRODUCTION The concept of meaning for ages as it relates to the study of Semantics has been an issue of debate. Obviously, Philosophers as well as Contemporary Linguists are still finding it difficult to reach consensus over the nature of meaning as it affects the human language. Lord (1966) opined that meaning is full of ambiguity, controversy and contradiction. Consequently, the difficulty posed in adopting a single and acceptable definition has opened window to several and frequent attempts aimed at redefinition. For convenience, a description of what Semantics represents might not be out of place as it would serve as a spring board to this study. Etymologically, semantics is traceable to ancient Greek semantikos, `significant’ which means the linguistic and philosophical study of meaning. It deals with the relationship between signifiers like words, phrases, signs, and symbols and what they stand for their denotation. Simply put Agbedo (2015) refers to semantics as the study of meaning. He says it is the ways in which words and sentences of various grammatical constructions are used and understood by native or fluent speakers of a given language. In linguistics, semantics is concerned with the interpretation of signs employed in environment within a particular situation or context. Also semantics as a subfield deliberately attempts to explore the meaning of semiotics, and the study of relation between different linguistic units and compounds, homonymy, synonymy, antonymy, hypernymy, hyponymy, menomyny, metonymy, homonymy.