Meaning: A Slim Guide to Semantics (Oxford Linguistics) - Softcover

Elbourne, Paul

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0199696624 ISBN 13: 9780199696628

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2011

Synopsis

Our outstanding ability to communicate is a distinguishing features 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.

About this title

About the Author:

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.

Review:

"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 Amherst

"The book is a well-written guide for anyone who wants to get a complete picture of what semantics is about...Elbourne inspires the reader to think about problems in semantics. Additionally, he shows that semantics is not a subject only for scientists, but rather a daily matter with consequences concerning life and death. Surprisingly, Elbourne does all of this without boring the reader."--Linguist List

"An unintimidating and admirable entry-point into both the technical and the philosophical dimensions of semantics." --Daniel Harris, Mind

"Elbourne writes lively prose and he conveys the sense that the contemporary study
of meaning is rich, exciting and developing rapidly." --Philosophy in Review

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0199696624
• ISBN 13: 9780199696628
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 174