What do we talk about when we talk? : speculative grammar and the semantics and pragmatics of focus / Johan van der Auwera.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Auwera, Johan van der.

Series:

Pragmatics & beyond ; 2:3.

Pragmatics & beyond, 0166-6258 ; 2:3

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Language and languages--Philosophy.

Language and languages.

Speculative grammar.

Grammar, Comparative and general--Topic and comment.

Grammar, Comparative and general.

Logic.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (127 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Amsterdam : Benjamins, 1981.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This monograph deals with the 'aboutness' of language. First, the sense in which language 'is about' or 'reflects' both reality and a mental picture of reality is turned into a cornerstone of a reflectionist or 'Speculative Grammarian' semantics and pragmatics. Second, the 'Speculative Grammar' idea is made concrete in a logico-linguistic account of the way language 'is about' the whole of reality as well as about certain fractions of it. Third, the reflectionist perspective is used for a universalist account of the way speech acts 'are about' their subjects, topics, and foci.

Contents:

WHAT DO WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK? Speculative grammar and the semantics and pragmatics of focus; Editorial page; Title page; Copyright page; Table of contents; 0. INTRODUCTIO; 1. SPECULATIVE GRAMMAR; 1.0 Introduction; 1.1 Ontology; 1.2 Philosophy of mind; 1.2.1 Storing and interacting; 1.2.2 Beliefs and desires; 1.2.3 Consciousness and beliefs; 1.2.4 Intentionality and desires; 1.3 Semantics versus pragmatics; 1.3.0 Introduction; 1.3.1 Context-independence versus context-dependence; 1.3.2 Truth versus appropriateness; 1.3.3 Mental states versus conceptualizations

1.3.4 Genetic reflection and focus1.4 An objection and a truism; 2. FOCUS AND LOGIC; 2.0 Introduction; 2.1 Logic and reflection; 2.1.1 Logic as what logicians do; 2.1.2 What philosophers of logic say; 2.1.3 Anti-descriptivism and weak descriptivism; 2.1.4 Strong descriptivism; 2.2 Logic and focus; 3. FOCUS AND SUBJECT-TOPIC RESEARCH; 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 Focus and its linguistic reflections; 3.3 ASF languages; 3.3.1 Introduction; 3.3.2 SF; 3.3.3 Agreement and asymmetry; 3.3.4 Multiple-level SF; 3.3.5 PF; 3.3.6 SOA-PF; 3,4 P-SF languages; 3.4.1 Introduction; 3.4.2 SF; 3.4.3 Split ergativity

3.5. PF-SF languages3.6. General conclusion; FOOTNOTES; REFERENCES

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

1-283-35971-5

9786613359711

90-272-8082-7

OCLC:

300973449