【问】The study of words is the business of LEXICOLOGY but the regularities in their forma-tion are similar in kind to the regularities of grammar and are closely connected to them.Meaning relations as a whole are the business of SEMANTICS，the study of meaning，and this therefore has relevance equally within lexicology and within grammar. (GCE，P.8)

[原译]研究词汇是词汇学的任务。但是词汇的组成规律与语法的规律在性质上是相似的，并与语法的规律是紧密关联的。总的来说，研究词义的关系是语义学的任务，也就是研究词的意义。因此，这就和词汇学与语法都有了同等的内在联系了。(当代英语语法，P.10)

as a whole在这里作“总的来说”解吗?

【答】 as a whole确实常常用作全句的状语，例如：

Gasoline engines and diesel engines are internal combustion engines. As a whole，they workin the same way.

汽油机和柴油机都是内燃机。总的说来，两者的工作方式相同。

但是，as a whole用作定语的情况也并不是很罕见的。例如：

1. Oxygen is one of the most abundant elements in the earth as a whole.

氧是全地球内最丰富的元素之一。

2. In general，the application—or misapplication—of science and technology in all fields iscertain to affect the structure of society as a whole.

一般说来，科学技术在各个领域中的应用或误用，必定会影响整个社会的结构。

3. In recent years，scientific and technological developments have changed human life onour planet，as well as our views both of ourselves as individuals in society and of the universe as a whole.

近几年来，科学技术上的新成就，不仅改变了人类在地球上的生活，而且也改变了我们对于社会上的个人以及整个宇宙的看法。

4. To consider only one point： it is obviously useless to devote great efforts and expense toeducation，technical training and planning if，for psychological reasons，the population asa whole fails to turn theory into effective action. (A Course in Basic Scientific English，P. 40)

只需考虑到这样一点：如果全体居民由于心理上的原因而不能把理论变为有效的行动，那么……。

在你所提问的句子里，根据上下文和整句的意思以及as a whole的位置，应把as a whole理解为meaning relations的定语。

[试译]……研究整个意义关系，则是语义学即意义的科学的任务，因此，语义学跟词汇学和语法学都是有关系的。