Description
Book SynopsisA comprehensive introduction to the ways in which meaning is conveyed in language. Alan Cruse covers semantic matters, but also deals with topics that are usually considered to fall under pragmatics. A major aim is to highlight the richness and subtlety of meaning phenomena, rather than to expound any particular theory.
Trade ReviewReview from previous edition 'Written in clear and concise language, this book offers comprehensive coverage of the topics in the study of meaning in language. Students will profit considerably by reading this excellent text' * Huimin Ji, University of Georgia *
'The book introduces the reader to the complex topic of meaning in language, providing and excellent comprehensive survey of the full range of semantic phenomena. The author is aware that the richness and variety of the presented topic could cause feelings of confusion, especially to less experienced readers, and thus offers a text with extensive explanatory power.' * Gabriela Missikova, University of Constantine the Philosopher *
Praise for the new edition 'Building on the many strengths of the first edition of Meaning in Language, Alan Cruse has significantly updated this already valuable textbook. New thinking about lexical semantics can be found alongside concise and pithy illustrations of all aspects of pragmatics and grammar, making this an excellent resource for any reader interested in the nuts and bolts of linguistic meaning.' * Mark Turin, Digital Himalaya Project, University of Cambridge *
Table of ContentsPART 1 FUNDAMENTAL NOTIONS ; 1. Introduction ; 2. Logic and Meaning ; 3. Concepts and Meaning ; PART 2 WORDS AND THEIR MEANINGS ; 4. Lexical Units ; 5. Contextual Variability of Word Meaning ; 6. Paradigmatic Relations of Inclusion and Identity ; 7. Paradigmatic Relations of Exclusion and Opposition ; 8. Lexical Hierarchies ; 9. Syntagmatic Semantic Relations ; 10. Describing Lexical Senses 1: Dimensions and Structures ; 11. Describing lexical Senses 2: Approaches to the Specification of Word Meanings ; 12. Extensions of Meaning ; PART 3 GRAMMATICAL MEANING ; 13. Grammatical Meaning: Nouns and Noun Phrases ; 14. Argument Structure and Transitivity ; 15. Grammatical Meaning: Verbs and Adjectives ; 16. The Semantics of Prepositions ; 17. The Semantics of Derivational Affixes ; PART 4 PRAGMATICS ; 18. Speech Acts ; 19. Reference and Deixis ; 20. Conversational Implicatures ; Epilogue ; Answers to Questions ; References ; Author Index ; Subject Index
