Semantics (Palgrave Modern Linguistics)

Semantics (Palgrave Modern Linguistics)

Kearns' book provides a lively and engaging introduction to formal semantics. This new edition extends the scope of the first edition by providing additional material on formalization in a very accessible manner. The presentation is clear and user-friendly throughout, making this a really useful resource for use with undergraduates and beginning graduate students alike' – <strong>Professor Louisa Sadler, University of Essex<br><br></strong>Semantics is the study of the literal meaning of words and the meaning of the way words are combined. This engaging introduction to formal semantics assumes no prior knowledge, providing a solid understanding of a range of semantic phenomena. Truly wide-ranging in coverage, no other introductory textbook discusses a comparable range of topics. Areas covered include:<br><br>• a beginner's introduction to type theory and the lambda calculus<br>• generalized quantifier theory<br>• referential opacity <br>• thematic roles and lexical conceptual structure<br>• aktionsarten<br>• tense and aspect, including Discourse Representation Theory<br>• event semantics<br><br>Illustrated throughout with numerous practical examples, each chapter also contains exercises, graded to three different levels of difficulty, as well as suggestions for further reading. <br><br>Thoroughly revised and expanded, this second edition includes entirely new material on type theory, lambda calculus, semantic composition and discussion of time within a narrative. Comprehensive and accessible, <em>Semantics</em> is ideal for both undergraduate and postgraduate students working at a variety of levels. <br>