Language Alpha has gone to the hospital for further diagnosis because he has been going through changes. He has to go to etymology, onomasiology, semasiology, and semantics. However, he has forgotten where he had to begin. That’s why he asks information from the reception.

Alpha: ‘Hello. My therapist referred me to several places in order to better understand my changes, but I don’t remember where I have to begin. He told me to go to another therapist first who will ask me questions like ‘how do you express an X object or concept?’. It must be in the department of lexicology. According to my therapist, I have difficulties in classifying the thing to be named and I avoid words that are phonetically similar or identical to negatively associated words.’

The receptionist seemed to have trouble finding out which department Alpha was talking about, but after some hesitation, he answered: ‘I think, you are searching for etymology.’

Alpha: ‘Ok, thanks. Well, for the second one, I have to go another place. Can you help me to find its name? My therapist told me that we have to understand the origin of my words and how they changed over time. I remember, that this specialist works with the comparative method to find the word roots.’

The receptionist: ‘Aha! You have to go to semantics.’

Alpha: ‘Great! After that, I have to go to another specialist who also will ask questions, but in the opposite way: ‘what does the X word mean or how do you express X ideas or concepts?’ This specialist must work in lexicology too.’

The receptionist: ‘Yes, I know this specialist. She works in the department of semantics.’

Alpha: ‘Ok, and the last one is a specialist who will analyze the meaning of my units of my discourse like words, phrases and sentences. Actually he will discourse analyze me. I am a little bit concerned because it’s a long process and he will know everything about me: the relationship between my signifiers—like words, phrases, signs, and symbols—and what they stand for, their denotation.’

The receptionist: ‘I know him. He works in onomasiology.’

Language Alpha followed the receptionist’s directions but surprisingly, he went to the wrong places. Where should he have he gone first, second, and so on? Write it in the right order!

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