meaningabout

Meaningabout is a proposed semantic notion used to denote the primary topic or subject that a sentence or stretch of discourse centers on. It describes what the statement is about in its semantic focus, separate from its propositional content or grammatical role. The term is not standard in dictionaries and is mostly encountered in informal discussions and theoretical explorations of aboutness.

Etymology and usage: The term is a compound of meaning and about, formed to express the idea of the "meaning that is about X." It has no formal status in linguistics, and its usage is rare and context-dependent; it is typically employed as a heuristic rather than a formal label.

Concept and examples: In "The novel about grief won an award," the meaningabout would point to the novel as the central topic, with the content pertaining to grief as the subject matter. In "Dogs bark at strangers," the meaningabout centers on dogs as the topic of discourse. In discourse with multiple potential topics, meaningabout helps identify which aspect anchors interpretation.

Relation to other concepts: Meaningabout is related to aboutness, theme, and topic in pragmatics and information structure, but emphasizes the subject that grounds the discourse. It intersects with focus and presupposition in determining what is treated as given or new information.

See also: aboutness, topic, focus, referential semantics, intentionality.