Meaning and Partiality (Studies in Logic, Language, and Information) - Hardcover

Muskens, Reinhard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1881526801 ISBN 13: 9781881526803

Publisher: Center for the Study of Language and Inf, 1995

Synopsis

Muskens radically simplifies Montague Semantics and generalises the theory by basing it on a partial higher order logic resulting in a theory which combines important aspects of Montague Semantics and Situation Semantics. Richard Montague formulated the revolutionary insight that we can understand the concept of meaning in ordinary languages much in the same way as we understand the semantics of logical languages. Unfortunately, he formalised his idea in an unnecessarily complex way. The present work does away with unnecessary complexities, obtains a streamlined version of the theory, shows how partialising the theory automatically provides us with the most central concepts of Situation Semantics, and offers a simple logical treatment of propositional attitude verbs, perception verbs and proper names.

About this title

Book Description

This volume's appeal lies in the development of a theory of meaning in ordinary language. This theory is strictly formalised on the basis of formal logic and the book contributes to the general discipline of Formal Semantics. Within this field it offers a synthesis between two leading paradigms, Montague Semantics and Situation Semantics.

Edition details

• Publisher: Center for the Study of Language and Inf
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 1881526801
• ISBN 13: 9781881526803
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 152