Short Post #2: Syntax VS Semantics

syn·tax  [sin-taks]  - noun
1. Linguisticsa. the study of the rules for the formation of grammatical sentences in a language.
b. the study of the patterns of formation of sentences and phrases from words.
c. the rules or patterns so studied: English syntax.
d. a presentation of these: a syntax of English.
e. an instance of these: the syntax of a sentence.
2. Logica. that branch of modern logic that studies the various kinds of signs that occur in a system and the possible arrangements of those signs, complete abstraction being made of the meaning of the signs.
b. the outcome of such a study when directed upon a specified language.

And

se·man·tics  [si-man-tiks]  - noun (used with a singular verb)
1. Linguisticsa. the study of meaning.
b. the study of linguistic development by classifying and examining changes in meaning and form.
2. Also called significs. the branch of semiotics dealing with the relations between signs and what they denote.
3. the meaning, or an interpretation of the meaning, of a word, sign, sentence, etc.: Let's not argue about semantics.

So, while syntax is the study of the mechanics of a sentence (or language as a whole), semantics is the study of the meaning behind the words, sentences, etc. Syntax is the cogs of the machine, while semantics is the coding in the program that runs the machine.

Or, at least that's how I understand it.

-JJ