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Meaning
A Slim Guide to Semantics
Paul Elbourne
192 pages
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216x138mm
978-0-19-969662-8
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Paperback
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06 October 2011
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- By far the most engaging introduction to semantics
- Shows how semantic analysis relates to law, politics, and the media
- Explains complex issues with clarity and concision
This book offers an introduction to the analysis of meaning. Our outstanding ability to communicate is a distinguishing feature of our species. To communicate is to convey meaning, but what is meaning? How do words combine to give us the meanings of sentences? And what makes a statement ambiguous or nonsensical? These questions and many others are addressed in Paul Elbourne's fascinating guide. He opens by asking what kinds of things the meanings of words and sentences could be: are they, for example, abstract objects or psychological entities? He then looks at how we understand a sequence of words we have never heard before; he considers to what extent the meaning
of a sentence can be derived from the words it contains and how to account for the meanings that can't be; and he examines the roles played by time, place, and the shared and unshared assumptions of speakers and hearers. He looks at how language interacts with thought and the intriguing question of whether what language we speak affects the way we see the world.
Meaning, as might be expected, is far from simple. Paul Elbourne explores its complex issues in crystal clear language. He draws on approaches developed in linguistics, philosophy, and psychology - assuming a knowledge of none of them -in a manner that will appeal to everyone interested in this essential element of human psychology and
culture.Readership: Undergraduates in linguistics and philosophy taking introductory courses in semantics, including formal semantics. This is the ideal textbook for a short course. The author's lively style and the absence of academic apparatus also make it an attractive introduction for any reader wanting to know about the nature of meaning and the debates surrounding it.
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Paul Elbourne, Department of Linguistics, Queen Mary, University of London Paul Elbourne is Reader in Semantics at Queen Mary, University of London. He is the author of Situations and Individuals (MIT Press, 2005) and numerous articles in linguistics and philosophy journals.
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"Elbourne succeeds in making the reader laugh out of the blue while reading about the most serious problems in semantics ... One of the distinguishing facts about the book is that it covers semantics in philosophy, linguistics, and psychology, which gives the reader the ability to evaluate any piece of information from various perspectives ... a perfect introduction to semantics" - Demet Corcu Gül, Linguist List "Recommended in the Times Higher Education Supplement Guide to Textbooks in Languages and Linguistics." "This is a perfect guide to what semantics is all about. The book is informative, scholarly, witty, entertaining, and funny. It doesn't shy away from hard puzzles and unsolved problems, and places semantics
where it belongs: at the intersection of linguistics, logic, metaphysics, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience." - Angelika Kratzer, University of Massachusetts at Amhurst
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1: Definitions
2: What are Word Meanings?
3: Semantic Properties of Words
4: What are Sentence Meanings?
5: Semantic Properties of Sentences
6: Meaning and Grammar
7: Meaning and Context
8: Meaning and Thought
9: Conclusion
Sources and Further Reading
Index
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The specification in this catalogue, including without limitation price, format, extent, number of illustrations, and month of publication, was as accurate as possible at the time the catalogue was compiled. Occasionally, due to the nature of some contractual restrictions, we are unable to ship a specific product to a particular territory. Jacket images are provisional and liable to change before publication.
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