denotation vs semantics

denotation

noun
  • The intension and extension of a word 

  • The primary, surface, literal, or explicit meaning of a signifier such as a word, phrase, or symbol; that which a word denotes, as contrasted with its connotation; the aggregate or set of objects of which a word may be predicated. 

  • Something signified or referred to; a particular meaning of a symbol 

  • A first level of analysis: what the audience can visually see on a page. Denotation often refers to something literal, and avoids being a metaphor. 

  • The act of denoting, or something (such as a symbol) that denotes 

  • Any mathematical object which describes the meanings of expressions from the languages, formalized in the theory of denotational semantics 

semantics

noun
  • The study of the relationship between words and their meanings. 

  • A branch of linguistics studying the meaning of words. 

  • The individual meanings of words, as opposed to the overall meaning of a passage. 

  • The meaning of computer language constructs, in contrast to their form or syntax. 

How often have the words denotation and semantics occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )