BUKU INTRO TO SEMANTICS

Nick Riemer

Cambridge University Press, 25 Mar 2010 - 460 halaman

Semantics is the study of meaning in language. This clear and comprehensive textbook provides an introduction to the subject for undergraduate students. It not only equips students with the concepts they need in order to understand the main aspects of semantics, it also introduces the styles of reasoning and argument which characterise the field. It contains more than 200 exercises and discussion questions designed to test and deepen readers' understanding.

INTRODUCING SEMANTICS Nick Riemer (CHAPTER 2)

CHAPTER 2

Meaning and definition

CHAPTER PREVIEW

This chapter considers the role of definition in the description of meaning, through four main questions: 

◆What units need to receive definition? 

◆What forms should the definitions take? 

◆Can definitions be grounded in a set of semantic primitives? 

◆What is the place of definition in semantics generally? 

We begin by contrasting the types of definition that might appear in dictionaries from the types that interest a theoretical semantic analysis (2.1).Before any definition can begin, we have to confront an initial question: what are the meaning-bearing units of the language for which definitions are required? We explore this question by looking at meaning on, above and below the word level in 2.2, paying particular attention to certain problematic cases. The next section distinguishes definition of things (real definition) from definition of meanings (nominal definition), and cognitive from extensional definitions, and discusses some differences of opinion in linguistics as to what the proper objects of linguistic definition are (2.3.1). We then distinguish different possible definitional strategies, including 

INTRODUCING SEMANTICS Nick Riemer (CHAPTER 1)

CHAPTER 1

Meaning in the empirical study of language

CHAPTER PREVIEW

In this chapter we will introduce some important concepts for the study of semantics. In
1.1 we place the notion of linguistic meaning in the wider context of human communication
and behaviour. Section 1.2 then examines some of the vocabulary that English and
other languages use for ordinary talk about meaning in language and related phenomena.
A consideration of how this everyday non-technical vocabulary varies cross-linguistically
can show some of the important different aspects of linguistic meaning. In section 1.3 the
semiotic triangle of mind, world and language is discussed, followed in 1.4 by an introduction
to five fundamental concepts:
◆ lexemes;

INTRODUCING SEMANTICS Nick Riemer (CHAPTER 5)

CHAPTER 5

ANALYSING AND DISTINGUISHING  MEANINGS

CHAPTER PREVIEW

The different sections of this chapter follow three logical steps in meaning analysis. In 5.1, some of the different possible semantic relations among words are exemplified and discussed. We concentrate on those relations which are of most use for semantic description: 

◆ antonymy (oppositeness; 5.1.1), 

◆ meronymy (part of-ness; 5.1.2), 

◆the class-inclusion relations of hyponymy and taxonomy (kind of-ness; 5.1.3–4) and 

◆ synonymy (5.1.5).