Introducing English Semantics

By Charles W. Kreidler

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About the Book

Introducing English Semantics is a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the study of meaning.
Charles W. Kreidler presents the basic principles of this discipline. He explores how languages organize and express meanings through words, parts of words and sentences.
Introducing English Semantics:
* deals with relations of words to other words, and sentences to other sentences
* illustrates the importance of 'tone of voice' and 'body language' in face-to-face exchanges, and the role of context in any communication
* makes random comparisons of features in other languages
* explores the knowledge speakers of a language must have in common to enable them to communicate
* discusses the nature of language; the structure of discourse; the distinction between lexical and grammatical meaning
* examines such relations as synonymy, antonymy, and hyponymy; ambiguity; implication; factivity; aspect; and modality
Written in a clear, accessible style, Introducing English Semantics will be an essential text for any student following an introductory course in semantics. Assuming no prior knowledge of linguistics, all technical terms are clearly defined in an accompanying glossary and active participation is encouraged through numerous exercises.

Table of Contents

Preface 1. The Study of Meaning 2. Language in Use 3. The Dimensions of Meaning 4. Semantic Roles 5. Lexical Relations 6. Transition and Transfer Predicates 7. Reference 8. Sentences as Arguments 9. Speech Acts 10. Aspect 11. Factivity, Implication, and Modality 12. A Variety of Predicates 13. The Semantics of Morphological Relations Bibliography Index of Names Index of Lexemes Index of Technical Terms Glossary of Technical Terms List of Tables

About the Author(s)

Charles W. Kreidler is Emeritus Professor of Linguistics at Georgetown University. His previous publications include The Pronunciation of English (1989) and Describing Spoken English (1997).