Source of Understanding the Primary Meaning of a Word

The Indian System of Logic i.e Navya Nyaya lists out eight basic aids to understanding the meaning of a word. They are as follows:

1. Grammar: The grammatical use of a word including its root, its prefix, suffix are useful in understanding the meaning of a word.
2. Analogy: Cognition of similarity
3. Dictionary: A standard dictionary is useful
4. Valid testimony: Sentence of a reliable speaker is useful. A reliable speaker is one who has good knowledge of his field
5. Usage: A word gets its meaning through usage
6. Remark: Certain remarks help in aiding the understanding of a meaning of a word
7. Paraphrasing: A rearrangement of words, paraphrasing, synonyms, comment, exposition is useful
8. Proximity: The meaning of a word is understood by proximity of words placed closed to it.