Semantics
an Introduction to Non-Lexical Aspects of Meaning
Paul Bennett
UMIST
This is an intermediate-level textbook on semantics. It assumes some prior acquaintance with linguistics, i.e. a basic knowledge of grammatical terminology and previous introductory study of syntax and semantics, but does not presuppose any particular theoretical orientation, or any prior knowledge of the topics it covers. It is aimed at intermediate and advanced undergraduates and beginning postgraduates in general linguistics, as well as those interested in the grammar of particular languages. It will also be relevant to students of computational linguistics and artificial intelligence.
An introductory chapter deals with useful background notions such as grammaticalization and prototype theory. The remaining chapters each cover a single topic: links between syntactic and semantic categories, proposition types, deixis, tense, aspect, modality, negation and determination. The basic approach taken is to examine each phenomenon in English before setting up a more general framework and then looking at a number of other languages (including material on French and German, and on non-standard varieties of English, and presenting some - but not masses of - data from 'exotic' languages). Each chapter concludes with copious suggestions for further reading.
Paul Bennett received his PhD from the School of Oreintal and African Studies, University of London. He is Senior Lecturer in Linguistics at UMIST, Manchester. Previous publications include Multilingual Aspects of Information Technology (co-author, 1986), Linguistic Theory and Computer Applications (co-editor, 1987) and A Course in Generalized Phrase Structure Grammar (1995).
Table of Contents:
Preface and Acknowledgements
1 Introduction
1.1 Overview
1.2 Grammaticalization
1.3 Prototypes
1.4 Semantics and Pragmatics
1.5 Polysemy and Monosemy
1.6 Conclusion - Notes and Further Reading
2 Syntactic and Semantic Categories
2.1 Nouns, Verbs and Adjectives
2.2 Alternative Views
2.3 Semantic Sub-Classes
2.4 Adverbs and Adpositions
2.5 Styles and Statistics
2.6 Cross-Linguistic Points
2.7 Summary - Notes and Further Reading
3 Proposition Types
3.1 States, Activities, Achievements and Accomplishments
3.2 The Behaviour of the Four Classes
3.3 Some Questions about this Typology
3.4 The Foundation of the Classification of Propositions
3.5 Grammatical Relations and Argument Structure
3.6 Thematic Roles
3.7 Some Contrastive Remarks
3.8 Summary - Notes and Further Reading
4 Deixis
4.1 Person Deixis
4.2 Social Deixis
4.3 Spatial Deixis
4.4 Temporal Deixis
4.5 Summary - Notes and Further Reading
5 Tense
5.1 Past, Present and Future
5.2 Speech, Event and Reference Times
5.3 Alternative Analyses
5.4 Analyses of the Perfect
5.5 Reference to the Future
5.6 Tense, Text-Type and Discourse
5.7 Other Times, Other Languages
5.8 Summary - Notes and Further Reading
6 Aspect
6.1 Habitual
6.2 Progressive
6.3 Perfective and Imperfective
6.4 A Framework for Aspect
6.5 Reference Time, Topic Time and Aspect
6.6 Aspect and Discourse
6.7 Aspect in Russian
6.8 Summary - Notes and Further Reading
7 Modality
7.1 The Meanings of \textit Must
7.2 Types and Degrees of Modality
7.3 Systems of Modality
7.4 Evidentiality
7.5 Modal Ambiguity and Core Meanings
7.6 Modality and the Future
7.7 Mood
7.8 Summary - Notes and Further Reading
8 Negation
8.1 Sentential Negation
8.2 Scope and Focus of Negation
8.3 Negative and Positive Polarity
8.4 Negative Events and Situations
8.5 Use of Negatives
8.6 Negation Cross-Linguistically
8.7 Summary - Notes and Further Reading
9 Determination
9.1 Types of Determination
9.2 Definite and Indefinite
9.3 Genericness
9.4 Demonstratives
9.5 Cross-Linguistic Points
9.6 Summary - Notes and Further Reading
Glossary, References, Index
ISBN 9783895866913. LINCOM Coursebooks in Linguistics 12. 200pp. 2001.
