Language and Meaning PDF
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Language and Meaning Language and Meaning provides a clear, accessible and unique per- spective on the philosophical and linguistic question of what it means to mean. Looking at relationships such as those between literal and non-literal meanings, linguistic form and meaning, and language and thought, this volume tackles the issues involved in what we mean and how we convey it. Divided into five easy-to-read chapters, it features: • Broad coverage of semantic, pragmatic and philosophical approaches, providing the reader with a balanced and compre- hensive overview of the topic; • Frequent examples to demonstrate how meaning is perceived and manipulated in everyday discourse, including the importance of context, scientific studies of human language, and theories of pragmatics; • Topics of debate and key points of current theories, including references to ongoing controversies in the field; • Annotated further reading, allowing students to explore topics in more detail. A imed at undergraduate students with little or no prior knowledge of linguistics, this book is essential reading for those studying this topic for the first time. Betty J. Birner is a professor in the Department of English at North- ern Illinois University, USA . Routledge Guides to Linguistics Routledge Guides to Linguistics are a set of concise and accessible guidebooks which provide an overview of the fundamental principles of a subject area in a jargon-free and undaunting format. Designed for students of linguistics who are approaching a particular topic for the first time, or students who are considering studying linguistics and are eager to find out more about it, these books will both introduce the essentials of a subject and provide an ideal springboard for further study. T his series is published in conjunction with the Linguistic Society of America. Founded in 1924 to advance the scientific study of language, the LSA plays a critical role in supporting and disseminating linguistic scholarship both to professional linguists and to the general public. Series Editor Betty J. Birner is a Professor of Linguistics and Cognitive Science in the Department of English at Northern Illinois University. Titles in this series: Language in Children Is English Changing? Eve V. Clark Steve Kleinedler Ebonics Sign Languages Sonja Lanehart Diane Lillo-Martin, Sandra Wood and Joseph Hill Why Study Linguistics? Kristin Denham and Anne Lobeck Bilingualism Shahrzad Mahootian Language and Meaning Betty J. Birner More information about this series can be found at www.routledge.com/series/RGL Linguistic Society of America Language and Meaning Betty J. Birner First published 2018 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2018 Betty J. Birner The right of Betty J. Birner to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice : Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Birner, Betty J., author. Title: Language and meaning / Betty Birner. Description: First edition. | New York : Routledge, 2018. | Series: Routledge guides to linguistics | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2017036304 | ISBN 9781138218239 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781138218246 (softcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781315148250 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Semantics. | Semantics (Philosophy) Classification: LCC P325 .B47 2017 | DDC 401/.43—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017036304 ISBN: 978-1-138-21823-9 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-138-21824-6 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-14825-0 (ebk) Typeset in Times New Roman by Apex CoVantage, LLC For the EELS, with gratitude, and in memory of Ellen Contents Acknowledgements ix 1 Introduction 1 What does it mean to mean? 2 Semantic vs. pragmatic meaning: the role of context 4 Linguistics and the relation between form and meaning 7 Conclusion 14 2 Philosophical approaches to meaning 15 Language and thought 15 Where meaning resides 21 Sense and reference 27 Referential vs. attributive meaning 30 Possible worlds and discourse models 34 Meaning and truth 38 3 Semantics 50 What does it take to be a chair? 50 Relationships between words 54 Relationships between sentences 61 Representing meaning 67 Building complex meanings out of simple meanings 78 Opaque contexts: filtering meaning through belief 90 viii Contents 4 Pragmatics 93 Implicature: what you say vs. what you mean 93 Pragmatics and reference 107 Presupposition 113 Speech acts: getting things done with language 120 Meaning and word order 128 5 Conclusion 135 Summary of foundational issues 135 Current issues in linguistic meaning 140 Further reading 144 References 146 Index 151 Acknowledgements A ny list of acknowledgements is necessarily incomplete; it would be impossible to list all those who inspired me, taught me, stimulated my thoughts, or encouraged my education. I’m profoundly grateful to be in a position to teach others, as I have been taught by others. I continue to believe in education as a means to change the world. I am especially grateful to Lenny Clapp, Polly Jacobson, and Jeff Kaplan for deep, extensive, and thoughtful comments that have greatly improved the content of this text. Thanks are also due to Barbara Abbott, Ryan Doran, Larry Horn, Jennifer Justice, Shahrzad Mahoot- ian, and Gregory Ward for comments and discussions that have helped to shape this book. I thank the members of my Spring 2017 Semantics class for their feedback. And Nadia Seemungal and the crew at Rout- ledge have been terrific to work with. I thank my husband, Andrew, for saving my hide on the technolog- ical front innumerable times. He and my daughter, Suzanne, bring joy to my life and keep me grounded, and are the most important people in my world. I thank them both for, well, everything. I thank my cat, Sammy, for occasionally moving off the keyboard so I could type. M y students are the reason this book exists, and you, the reader, are the reason it has meaning. Thank you.
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