Introducing English Semantics

by Charles W. Kreidler

Introducing English Semantics is a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the study of meaning.
Charles W. Kreidler presents the basic principles of this discipline. He explores how languages organize and express meanings through words, parts of words and sentences.
Introducing English Semantics :
* deals with relations of words to other words, and sentences to other sentences
* illustrates the importance of 'tone of voice' and 'body language' in face-to-face exchanges, and the role of context in any communication
* makes random comparisons of features in other languages
* explores the knowledge speakers of a language must have in common to enable them to communicate
* discusses the nature of language; the structure of discourse; the distinction between lexical and grammatical meaning
* examines such relations as synonymy, antonymy, and hyponymy; ambiguity; implication; factivity; aspect; and modality
Written in a clear, accessible style, Introducing English Semantics will be an essential text for any student following an introductory course in semantics. Assuming no prior knowledge of linguistics, all technical terms are clearly defined in an accompanying glossary and active participation is encouraged through numerous exercises.

Genres: Linguistics, Language

352 pages, Paperback

First published March 26, 1998

About the author

Charles W. Kreidler is Professor Emeritus of Linguistics at Georgetown University. His publications include The Dynamics of Language (co-author, 1971), Introducing English Semantics (1998), and Phonology: Critical Concepts (edited, 6 volumes, 2000).

Reviews

[Daniel]

I don't know what goes on at Routledge. I have a generally favorable impression of them as far as academic publishers goes, but I have to say the second edition paperback version of this book contains the most unbelievably hideous typesetting I can ever recall encountering in a professionally published book. It happens that I also have a hardback first edition at hand, and while it is ugly, with a boring layout and ugly header fonts that suggest a professor who truly hates his students, it is positively soothing in comparison to the violently nausea inducing interior of the second edition.

[محمد حسين ضاحي · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book I read in semantics. I had made myself a plan for reading in semantics for the sake of my masters. However, this book seems to be away from my topic since it deals mainly with the classification of predicates (typically the verb). It is not only a book on semantics, but it also introduces pragmatics since it explores language in use (chapter 2), and speech acts (chapter 9). Other than these two chapters the rest of the 13 chapters are semantics and deal mainly with verbs.

[Ralitsa Peykova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Semantics is probably one of the most problematic branches of linguistics. Fortunately, books like this one exist!

[Nori]

good

[Helky Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

best book