Explore how language shapes meaning in this rigorous study of semantics and word use.
This authorized facsimile presents Bréal’s landmark work on how words gain and shift sense, from abstract ideas to concrete objects.
This edition collects foundational essays and key chapters on how languages form, transform, and multiply meanings. It reveals how terms borrow from other domains, how concrete objects can embody ideas, and how language reflects culture and thought. Aimed at students and scholars, it illuminates the long history of semantic study and the practical craft of linguistic analysis.
Inside you’ll find clear explanations of themes like concretion, polysemy, and gender in language, plus examples from multiple languages that show how meanings evolve. The text also discusses methodology, the role of observation, and how to build a facts-based approach to linguistic inquiry. The result is a precise, accessible guide to the science of meaning.
- Foundational concepts in semantics, including concretion of meaning and polysemy.
- Examples drawn from ancient and modern languages to illustrate shifts in sense.
- Discussion of how abstract ideas become concrete through language use.
- Practical notes on collecting and verifying linguistic data for study.
Ideal for readers of linguistic theory, philology, and the history of language, this edition fits classrooms and personal study alike.