Semantics : a coursebook / James R. Hurford, Brendan Heasley, Michael B. Smith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hurford, James R.

Contributor:

Heasley, Brendan, 1946-

Smith, Michael B., 1955-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Semantics.

Physical Description:

xiii, 350 pages : illustrations, 1 map ; 24 cm

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Summary:

This practical coursebook introduces all the basics of semantics in a simple, step-by-step fashion. Each unit includes short sections of explanation with examples, followed by stimulating practice exercises for students to complete. Feedback and comment sections follow each exercise to enable students to monitor their progress.

No previous background in semantics is assumed, as students begin by discovering the value and fascination of the subject and then move through all key topics in the field, including sense and reference, simple logic, word meaning, and interpersonal meaning.

New study guides and exercises have been added to the end of each unit (with an online answer key) to help reinforce the learning of key concepts. A completely new unit on non-literal language and metaphor, plus updates throughout the text significantly expand the scope of the original edition to bring it up-to-date with modern teaching of semantics for introductory courses in linguistics as well as intermediate students.

Unique approach to introducing the topic with short explanatory sections followed by stimulating practice exercises to be completed on the page, Feedback and comment sections in the text allow students to monitor understanding of material while new end-of-unit exercises allow instructors to test and reinforce learning, Thoroughly revised, expanded, and updated to fit with modern teaching of the subject.

Contents:

1 Basic ideas in semantics 1

Unit 1 About semantics 1

Unit 2 Sentences, utterances, and propositions 16

Unit 3 Reference and sense 26

2 From reference... 36

Unit 4 Referring expressions 36

Unit 5 Predicates 45

Unit 6 Predicates, referring expressions, and universe of discourse 56

Unit 7 Deixis and definiteness 65

Unit 8 Words and things: extensions and prototypes 79

3 ...to sense 93

Unit 9 Sense properties and stereotypes 93

Unit 10 Sense relations (1) 105

Unit 11 Sense relations (2) 120

4 Logic 141

Unit 12 About logic 141

Unit 13 A notation for simple propositions 152

Unit 14 Connectives: and or 164

Unit 15 More connectives 180

5 Word meaning 194

Unit 16 About dictionaries 194

Unit 17 Meaning postulates 205

Unit 18 Properties of predicates 218

Unit 19 Derivation 225

Unit 20 Participant roles 244

6 Interpersonal and non-literal meaning 260

Unit 21 Speech acts 260

Unit 22 Perlocutions and illocutions 269

Unit 23 Felicity conditions 281

Unit 24 Direct and indirect illocutions 289

Unit 25 Propositions and illocutions 303

Unit 26 Conversational implicature 314

Unit 27 Non-literal meaning: idioms, metaphor, and metonymy 327

Selected references and recommendations for further study 345.

Notes:

Previous ed.: 1983.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780521671873

0521671876

OCLC:

77540835