Modality (Paperback) (Oxford Surveys in Semantics & Pragmatics) by Paul Portner (22-Jan-2009) Paperback

by Paul Portner

This is a book about semantic theories of modality. Its main goal is to explain and evaluate important contemporary theories within linguistics and to discuss a wide range of linguistic phenomena from the perspective of these theories. The introduction describes the variety of grammatical phenomena associated with modality, explaining why modal verbs, adjectives, and adverbs represent the core phenomena. Chapters are then devoted to the possible worlds semantics for modality developed in modal logic; current theories of modal semantics within linguistics; and the most important empirical areas of research. The author concludes by discussing the relation between modality and other topics, especially tense, aspect, mood, and discourse meaning. Paul Portner's accessible guide to this key area of current research will be welcomed by students of linguistics at graduate level and above, as well as by researchers in philosophy, computational science, and related fields.

Genres: Linguistics, Philosophy, Language

Paperback

First published January 22, 2009

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suppose that you've some small amount of semantics under your belt and a bit of philosophical logic and that you'd like to learn about what the haps are in recent work on modality. You could hardly do better than get this book. It is nicely self-contained and spooky clear.

For my money, I am pretty pleased to have a clear presentation of dynamic semantics, a thorough presentation of Kratzer's work, and interesting discussions of epistemic and practical modalities (i.e. modals of ability). Also (as if the previous wasn't awesome enough), it has a pretty good discussion of tense and modality.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only for linguists and philosophers, but this is the clearest and best explanation I have ever read of a complicated issue in logic or formal semantics. It's both elucidating and critically engaged in a very nice way.