Natural Language Semantics

Natural Language Semantics discusses fundamental concepts for linguistic semantics. This book combines theoretical explanations of several methods of inquiry with detailed semantic analysis and emphasises the philosophy that semantics is about meaning in human languages and that linguistic meaning is cognitively and functionally motivated.

Keith Allan is Reader in Linguistics at Monash University, and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities. He has taught in Britain, Kenya, Nigeria, and the United States. His research and publications focus mainly on aspects of meaning in language and his previous books are Linguistic Meaning (2 volumes, 1986) and Euphemism and Dysphemism: Language Used as Shield and Weapon (co-authored with Kate Burridge, 1991).

Preface

xi

Symbols and conventions

xv

Some fundamental concepts for semantics

1

(40)

Where we are heading

1

(1)

Human language and semantics

2

(3)

Meaning is compositional

5

(3)

The metalanguage: the language of the semantic theory

8

(2)

Three kinds of inference

10

(5)

Speakers, speech acts, hearers and overhearers

15

(5)

Context and common ground

20

(7)

Maxims of the cooperative principle, and the principle of relevance

27

(7)

Summary

34

(4)

Notes on further reading

38

(3)

Words and worlds and reference

41

(34)

Where we are heading

41

(1)

Dictionary meaning

41

(2)

Sentence meaning, utterance meaning, and speaker meaning

43

(2)

An informal description of reference, denotation, extension, and intension

45

(9)

When there is no extension or extension is uncertain

54

(8)

Extensionality and generics

62

(3)

Some characteristic forms of anaphora: multiple references to something

65

(5)

Summary

70

(3)

Notes on further reading

73

(2)

The lexicon and the encyclopedia

75

(32)

Where we are heading

75

(1)

The main components of a lexicon entry

75

(5)

Formal specifications

76

(1)

Morphosyntactic specifications

77

(1)

Semantic specifications

77

(1)

Other specifications?

78

(1)

The necessary specifications

79

(1)

The networked components in a lexicon entry

80

(4)

The lexicon gives the meanings of listemes, the encyclopedia gives information about their denotata

84

(4)

Names as rigid designators

88

(8)

Proper names in the lexicon

96

(3)

The lexicon is part of the encyclopedia

99

(3)

Summary

102

(2)

Notes on further reading

104

(3)

Morphology and listemes

107

(40)

Where we are heading

107

(1)

Meaning and morphology

108

(11)

Polyword listemes: compounds, phrasal verbs, and idioms

119

(13)

Compounds are listemes

121

(4)

Phrasal verbs are compounds, but some are discontinuous

125

(1)

Idioms are phrasal or clausal listemes

126

(6)

Polyword listemes: conclusions

132

(1)

Sound symbolism

132

(9)

Summary

141

(3)

Notes on further reading

144

(3)

The power of words: connotation and jargon

147

(34)

Where we are heading

147

(1)

Connotation, euphemism, and dysphemism

147

(2)

Connotations in naming and addressing and their effects on vocabulary

149

(7)

Empowerment and danger in knowing the name: how this affects vocabulary

156

(2)

Why dirt clings: the power of naturalist beliefs

158

(4)

Upgrades, downgrades, and deceptions

162

(2)

Sources for euphemisms and dysphemisms: revising the vocabulary of a language

164

(5)

Jargon is the language peculiar to a trade, profession, or other group

169

(8)

Summary

177

(3)

Notes on further reading

180

(1)

Semantic relations between sentences

181

(36)

Where we are heading

181

(1)

Propositional calculus: a brief sketch

182

(6)

Entailments and conventional implicatures

188

(4)

Conversational implicature

192

(12)

Presuppositions and preconditions on illocutions

204

(7)

Summary

211

(3)

Notes on further reading

214

(3)

Predicate logic, sets, and lambda: tools for semantic analysis

217

(30)

Where we are heading

217

(1)

Lp, the language of predicate logic

217

(6)

Meaning postulates

223

(4)

Sets and tuples

227

(5)

Functions and models

232

(5)

The lambda operator, λ

237

(5)

Summary

242

(3)

Notes on further reading

245

(2)

Frames, fields, and semantic components

247

(40)

Where we are heading

247

(1)

Scripts

248

(3)

Frames and selection restrictions

251

(6)

Semantic fields and relations within them

257

(11)

Componential analysis of listemes into their semantic components

268

(7)

Semantic primitives and the definition of listeme meanings

275

(7)

Summary

282

(3)

Notes on further reading

285

(2)

Cognitive semantics: backs, colours, and classifiers

287

(34)

Where we are heading

287

(2)

The meanings of the English words back: the human-centredness of language

289

(12)

Colours and Vantage Theory

301

(6)

The semantics of classifiers

307

(9)

Summary

316

(3)

Notes on further reading

319

(2)

Using the typical denotatum to identify the intended referent

321

(22)

Where we are heading

321

(1)

Prototype semantics

322

(11)

Stereotypes and Gestalten

333

(1)

Intension and the typical denotatum

334

(2)

Identifying the referent

336

(2)

Summary

338

(3)

Notes on further reading

341

(2)

Mood, tense, modality, and thematic roles

343

(38)

Where we are heading

343

(1)

Mood as primary illocution

343

(10)

Tense

353

(5)

Modals such as will, can, may, must

358

(9)

Stepping stones through the quagmire of thematic roles

367

(9)

Summary

376

(2)

Notes on further reading

378

(3)

The semantics of clause predicates

381

(38)

Where we are heading

381

(1)

Jackendoff's `lexical conceptual structures' for verbs

381

(11)

The logical structures of predicates in Role and Reference Grammar

392

(15)

Aspect-based verb classes

392

(2)

Macroroles

394

(2)

Activities

396

(2)

States

398

(4)

Achievements

402

(1)

Accomplishments

403

(1)

Causatives

404

(1)

Active accomplishments

405

(1)

Locating the macroroles

405

(1)

Predicates in RRG

406

(1)

Comparing two approaches to the lexical decomposition of clause predicates

407

(6)

Summary

413

(3)

Notes on further reading

416

(3)

Quantifiers in English

419

(56)

Where we are heading

419

(1)

Countability in English NPs

420

(7)

Countability and individuation

420

(1)

Tests for countability

421

(2)

Number discord

423

(1)

Collectivizing

424

(3)

Ensemble theory

427

(3)

Preliminaries for a semantics of English quantifiers

430

(4)

Compositional quantification

434

(6)

The as a universal quantifier

440

(11)

Relationships among quantifiers

451

(10)

Scope relations between quantifiers

461

(3)

From a to the

464

(2)

The semantics and pragmatics of simple classificatory sentences

466

(2)

Summary

468

(5)

Notes on further reading

473

(2)

Epilogue

475

(4)

References with selective annotations

479

(32)

Index

511

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Natural Language Semantics

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

FREE SHIPPING

Rent More, Save More! Use code: BBRENTAL

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Natural Language Semantics

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

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