One of the pieces of evidence I might proffer as to why we live in Babel is that semantics is a derogatory term, is treated as a fallacy, so that the first person who seeks the definition of a word has lost the debate in the eyes of his opponent. To give the Devil his due, semantics can be weaponized. A word can be used idiotically, that is, can be so specialized as to be next to meaningless; a definition with as many caveats as the holes of a sieve retains no more import than a strainer retains water. There are uses in philosophy for such exact terms, as there are specific uses for a sieve, but a simple bowl is often very much more useful.
The thing I think that must be settled is that something ought to be meant. This, I fear, is becoming rarer. In Babel, when I find my neighbor speaking to me with an indiscernible accent, I have a hope that if we are both patient, we might come to understand a little of what we each mean, that if we are willing to dirty our hands with a little semantic work, we might understand one another.
How is it if there is no meaning, though? If there isn’t any thought behind the words? What do you do when you ask for the definition—let us say, the definition of a woman—and even though the word has been bandied about, the one saying it over and over again can’t say what he means? What do you do when you understand every word someone says, but there doesn’t seem to be any meaning there whatsoever? What do you do?
Tale Told 
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