CONTENTS
List of Figures and Figure Credits = xiii
Typographical Conventions and Symbols = xv
1. Semantics : The Study of Meaning = 1
1.1 Language and meaning = 1
1.2 The nature of meaning = 3
1.3 Linguistic approaches to meaning = 6
1.4 Issues in semantic theory = 11
1.5 Semantic phenomena = 16
Exercises and discussion questions = 22
Suggestions for further reading = 25
2. Three Traditions : Lexicography, Logic, and Structuralism = 26
2.1 The pitfalls of defining = 26
2.2 Accuracy in a definition = 31
2.3 The logical tradition = 36
2.4 Some logical concepts used in semantics = 39
2.5 Classical Componential Analysis(CA) = 43
2.6 Componential analysis in generative grammar = 50
Exercises and discussion questions = 53
Suggestions for further reading = 55
3. Contemporary Approaches, Contemporary Issues = 56
3.1 The Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) approach = 56
3.2 Doing reductive paraphrase explications = 61
3.3 An abstract metalanguage : Ray Jackendoff's conceptual semantics = 64
3.4 New approaches : frames and scenarios = 69
3.5 New phenomena : prototypes = 71
3.6 Metaphors and image schemas = 77
Exercises and discussion questions = 82
Suggestions for further reading = 85
4. The Semantics of Emotions = 86
4.1 Theories of the emotions = 86
4.2 Semantic components of emotion words = 88
4.3 Comparisons between some English emotions = 91
4.4 'Culture-related' emotions = 96
4.5 Three 'anger' words in Yankunytjatjara = 100
Exercises and discussion questions = 106
Suggestions for further reading = 110
5. Colours = 111
5.1 Colour naming around the world = 111
5.2 Colour vision = 117
5.3 'Defining' colour meanings in neural terms = 120
5.4 Towards a conceptual analysis of colour = 124
5.5 Unravelling colour meanings = 127
5.6 Colour meanings across languages = 131
Exercises and discussion questions = 134
Suggestions for further reading = 135
6. Speech-Act Verbs = 136
6.l What is a speech act? = 136
6.2 Searle's approach = 140
6.3 Reductive paraphrase of speech-act verbs = 145
6.4 Cultural aspects of speech acts = 154
Exercises and discussion questions = 163
Suggestions for further reading = 164
7. Discourse Particles and Interjections = 165
7.1 Describing particles and interjections = 165
7.2 Three English particles : or, too, and well = 169
7.3 Some particles in other languages = 177
7.4 A fistful of interjections = 184
Exercises and discussion questions = 191
Suggestions for further reading = 194
8. Motion = 195
8.1 Approaches to space and motion = 196
8.2 How to know whether you're coming or going = 203
8.3 Motion verbs in Arrernte = 213
8.4 Motion verbs in other languages = 218
Exercises and discussion questions = 221
Suggestions for further reading = 223
9. Artefacts and Animals = 224
9.1 Artefact meanings = 224
9.2 The meaning of cup and mug = 230
9.3 The semantics of 'folk biology' = 238
9.4 The meaning of cats = 245
9.5 Outstanding issues = 251
Exercises and discussion questions = 256
Suggestions for further reading = 259
10. Causatives = 260
10.1 How basic is BECAUSE? = 260
10.2 Conventional descriptions of causatives = 266
10.3 Productive causatives across languages = 269
10.4 Some causative verbs in English = 277
10.5 Causation and culture = 285
Exercises and discussion questions = 290
Suggestions for further reading = 293
11. Grammatical Categories = 294
11.1 Pronominal systems = 295
11.2 Noun and numeral classifiers = 301
11.3 Locational deixis = 311
11.4 Evidentials and experiencer constructions = 314
11.5 Experiencer constructions = 317
11.6 Concluding remarks = 320
Exercises and discussion questions = 321
Suggestions for further reading = 323
12. New Developments = 324
12.1 The expanding semantic metalanguage = 324
12.2 New work on NSM syntax = 329
12.3 Language acquisition = 336
12.4 Cultural scripts = 341
12.5 Non-verbal communication = 347
Discussion questions = 353
Suggestions for further reading = 355
Solutions to Selected Exercises = 356
References = 379
Language Index = 401
General Index = 403
