Semantics
A Coursebook

This practical coursebook introduces all the basics of semantics in a simple, step-by-step fashion.

James R. Hurford (Author), Brendan Heasley (Author), Michael B. Smith (Author)

9780521671873, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 19 April 2007

361 pages, 13 b/w illus. 780 exercises
24.6 x 17.4 x 2.3 cm, 0.73 kg

'An excellent introductory first step. It covers all the main topics which any course on meaning in language will cover, and presents difficult concepts in an easy, accessible way.' Billy Clark, Middlesex University

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 to complete in the book. 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 to help reinforce and test learning. 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.

Preface
Acknowledgements
Part I. Basic Ideas in Semantics: Unit 1. About semantics
Unit 2. Sentences, utterances, and propositions
Unit 3. Reference and sense
Part II. From Reference …: Unit 4. Referring expressions
Unit 5. Predicates
Unit 6. Predicates, referring expressions, and universe of discourse
Unit 7. Deixis and definiteness
Unit 8. Words and things. Extensions and prototypes
Part III. … To Sense: Unit 9. Sense properties and stereotypes
Unit 10. Sense relations (1)
Unit 11. Sense relations (2)
Part IV. Logic: Unit 12. About logic
Unit 13. A notation for simple propositions
Unit 14. Connectives. And and or
Unit 15. More connectives
Part V. Word Meaning: Unit 16. About dictionaries
Unit 17. Meaning postulates
Unit 18. Properties of predicates
Unit 19. Derivation
Unit 20. Participant roles
Part VI. Interpersonal and Non-Literal Meaning: Unit 21. Speech acts
Unit 22. Perlocutions and illocutions
Unit 23. Felicity conditions
Unit 24. Direct and indirect illocutions
Unit 25. Propositions and illocutions
Unit 26. Conversational implicature
Unit 27. Non-literal meaning: idioms, metaphor, and metonymy
Selected references and recommendations for further study
Index.

Subject Areas: Semantics, discourse analysis, etc [CFG], Historical & comparative linguistics [CFF], Linguistics [CF]