Semantic Analysis: A Practical Introduction

Abstract

The main aim of this book, whose first edition appeared in 1998, is to give students and teachers a resource for developing their own practical skills in semantic analysis. It also aims to help students develop the knowledge and perspective to critically evaluate semantic analysis and argumentation in linguistics at large. As described shortly, the book has been thoroughly revised since the first edition. Any introductory text must be selective. It must try to balance consistency and diversity of approach, breadth and depth of coverage. In this book, the main method used for describing and analysing meanings is the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) approach. Originated by Anna Wierzbicka, this is a rigorous but commonsense approach based on reductive paraphrase in natural language. Other significant figures that students will meet in the following pages, along with their distinctive treatments of particular semantic problems, include Ray Jackendoff, Ronald Langacker, Charles Fillmore, Leonard Talmy, Beth Levin, John Searle, Brent Berlin, Steven Levinson, George Lakoff, and William Labov. A key theme throughout the book is the relationship between semantics, conceptualization, and culture. Aside from English, languages drawn on for illustrative purposes include Arrernte, Chinese, Danish, Ewe, Jacaltec, Japanese, Malay, Polish, Spanish, and Yankunytjatjara.