This students' manual provides an introductory overview of lexical semantics based on the present state of theoretical discussion. It explains important 'basics' such as lexical relations, the distinction between polysemy and homonymy, and the problems posed by the concept of 'meaning'. Alongside structural semantics and semantic approaches of a generative persuasion, the book also gives an introduction to cognitive semantics (with special reference to prototype theory and the scenes-and-frames approach). The manual also gives detailed coverage of historical semantics: fundamentals, typology and motives of meaning change, and - in a broader perspective - various kinds of lexical change, including word-formation, loan-words, etc.