Author: Nick RiemerPublisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521851920
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 477
Book Description
An introduction to the study of meaning in language for undergraduate students.
Introducing Semantics
Author: Nick RiemerPublisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521617413
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 473
Book Description
Semantics is the study of meaning in language. This clear and comprehensive textbook is the most up-to-date introduction to the subject available for undergraduate students. It not only equips students with the concepts they need in order to understand the main aspects of semantics, it also introduces the styles of reasoning and argument which characterise the field. It contains more than 200 exercises and discussion questions designed to test and deepen readers' understanding. More inclusive than other textbooks, it clearly explains and contrasts different theoretical approaches, summarises current debates, and provides helpful suggestions for further reading. Examples are drawn both from major world languages, such as Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Spanish and English, and from minority ones. The book also highlights the connections between semantics and the wider study of human language in psychology, anthropology, and linguistics itself.
Introducing English Semantics
Author: Charles W. KreidlerPublisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 0415180643
Category : Anglais (Langue) - Sémantique
Languages : en
Pages : 345
Book Description
Annotation Focusing on the English language, this comprehensive and accessible introduction to semantics explores how languages organize and express meaning through words, parts of words and sentences. This title available in eBook format. Click here for more information. Visit our eBookstore at: www.ebookstore.tandf.co.uk.
Introduction to Semantics
Author: Thomas Ede ZimmermannPublisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 3110314371
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Book Description
This textbook helps undergraduate students of language and linguistics taking their first steps in one of the core areas of grammar, introducing them to the basic ideas, insights, and techniques of contemporary semantic theory. Requiring no special background knowledge, the book starts with everyday observations about word meaning and use and then hightlights the role of structure in the analysis of the meanings of phrases and clauses, zooming in on the fascinating and vexing question of how speakers manage to meaningfully communicate with sentences and texts they have never come across before. At the same time, the reader becomes acquainted with the modern, functionalist characterization of linguistic meaning in terms of reference (extension) and information (intension), and learns to apply technical tools from formal logic to analyzing the meaning of complex linguistic expressions as being composed by the meanings of their parts. Each of the nine main chapters contains a variety of exercises for self-study and classroom use, with model solutions in the appendix. Extensive English examples provide ample illustration.
Semantics
Author: James R. HurfordPublisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521289498
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 308
Book Description
Introduces the major elements of semantics in a simple, step-by-step fashion. Sections of explanation and examples are followed by practice exercises with answers and comment provided.
A Course in Semantics
Author: Daniel AltshulerPublisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262042770
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 249
Book Description
An introductory text in linguistic semantics, uniquely balancing empirical coverage and formalism with development of intuition and methodology. This introductory textbook in linguistic semantics for undergraduates features a unique balance between empirical coverage and formalism on the one hand and development of intuition and methodology on the other. It will equip students to form intuitions about a set of data, explain how well an analysis of the data accords with their intuitions, and extend the analysis or seek an alternative. No prior knowledge of linguistics is required. After mastering the material, students will be able to tackle some of the most difficult questions in the field even if they have never taken a linguistics course before. After introducing such concepts as truth conditions and compositionality, the book presents a basic symbolic logic with negation, conjunction, and generalized quantifiers, to serve as the basis for translation throughout the book. It then develops a detailed compositional semantics, covering quantification (scope and binding), adverbial modification, relative clauses, event semantics, tense and aspect, as well as pragmatic phenomena, notably deictic pronouns and narrative progression. A Course in Semantics offers a large and diverse set of exercises, interspersed throughout the text; those labeled “Important practice and looking ahead” prepare students for material to come; those labeled “Thinking about ” invite students to think beyond the content of the book.
Elements of Formal Semantics
Author: Yoad WinterPublisher: Edinburgh University Press
ISBN: 0748677771
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
Introducing some of the foundational concepts, principles and techniques in the formal semantics of natural language, Elements of Formal Semantics outlines the mathematical principles that underlie linguistic meaning. Making use of a wide range of concrete English examples, the book presents the most useful tools and concepts of formal semantics in an accessible style and includes a variety of practical exercises so that readers can learn to utilise these tools effectively. For readers with an elementary background in set theory and linguistics or with an interest in mathematical modelling, this fascinating study is an ideal introduction to natural language semantics. Designed as a quick yet thorough introduction to one of the most vibrant areas of research in modern linguistics today this volume reveals the beauty and elegance of the mathematical study of meaning.
Introducing Syntax
Author: Olaf KoenemanPublisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 110709674X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 315
Book Description
This lively textbook introduces readers to the formal theory of syntax, presenting contemporary insights without unnecessary technical detail.
Meaning in Language
Author: D. A. CrusePublisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 019926306X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 441
Book Description
A 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. Rich in examples and exercises, Meaning in Language provides an invaluable descriptive approach to this area of linguistics for undergraduates and postgraduates alike.
Semantics
Author: Ronnie CannPublisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521819626
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
The study of meaning in language has developed dramatically over the last fifty years. Semantics is distinctive as it not only presents a general introduction to the topic, including the most recent developments, but it also provides a unique perspective for addressing current issues. It opens by introducing readers to the study of logic (natural deduction) as the background against which developments have taken place. This demonstrates the link between semantics and the study of reasoning and how this view can provide new solutions to the puzzles that have plagued the approaches presented in other textbooks. The major subject areas of semantics are discussed, including quantification, anaphora and discourse, tense and aspect, ellipsis and context, and word meaning. The book also presents state-of-the-art research in topics at the forefront of semantics.
