The Emergence of Semantics in Four Linguistic Traditions

1. Preface; 2. Part I The Hebrew tradition; 3. 1. Introduction; 4. 2. Terminology; 5. 3. Intra-Biblical tradition; 6. 4. Rabbinic exegetical tradition; 7. 5. Language and exegesis in the medieval Jewish tradition; 8. 5.1 Saadiah Gaon; 9. 5.2 Translation technique; 10. 5.3 The way towards pesat; 11. 5.4 Meaning in Hebrew grammar and lexicography; 12. 6. The logical and philosophical tradition of medieval Judaism; 13. 6.1 Moses Maimonides; 14. 6.2 The influence of Maimonides; 15. 7. Conclusion; 16. 8. Suggestions for further reading; 17. 9. Bibliographical references; 18. Part II The Sanskrit tradition; 19. 1. Introduction; 20. 2. Terminology; 21. 3. Awareness of language and meaning in early Vedic texts and ancillary disciplines; 22. 3.1 The Vedic hymns; 23. 3.2 The Brahmanas and ancillary disciplines; 24. 4. Nirukta: "etymology" or "explanation of word meaning through derivation"; 25. 5. The exegetic guidelines of early Mimamsa; 26. 6. Grammar and semantics in the early Paninian tradition; 27. 6.1 The role of meanings and semantics in Panini's grammar; 28. 6.2 Early commentators on Panini's Astadhyayi: Katyayana and Patanjali; 29. 7. Logic, ontology and semantics in Nyaya and Vaisesika; 30. 7.1 The Vaisesika-system; 31. 7.2 The Nyaya-system; 32. 8. Challenging the Brahminical tradition: Buddhists and Jainas; 33. 8.1 The Jainas; 34. 8.2 The Buddhists; 35. 9. Bhartrhari's discussion of linguistic and semantic theories: major issues and parameters; 36. 9.1 The first book of the Vakyapadiya: Introductory matter and the relation between sound, signifier and meaning; 37. 9.2 The second book of the Vakyapadiya: On the primary unit in language; 38. 9.3 The third book of the Vakyapadiya: Philosophical and semantic investigations of grammatical categories pertaining to the words in the sentence; 39. 10. Developments after the Vakyapadiya: apoha "exclusion", poetics, theories of sabda-bodha "understanding from language"; 40. 11. Conclusion; 41. 12. Suggestions for further reading; 42. 13. Bibliographical references; 43. Part III The Greek tradition; 44. 1. Introduction; 45. 2. Terminology; 46. 3. Folk linguistics, etymology, magic: The meaning of names; 47. 4. Pre-Alexandrian exegesis (6th-4th centuries BCE); 48. 5. The intellectuals' debate in the 6th and 5th centuries BCE of language, truth, knowledge and reality; 49. 6. Plato: The limits of language; 50. 7. Aristotle: The function of language; 51. 8. The Hellenistic period: Philosophy and philology; 52. 9. Apollonius Dyscolus: The role of semantics in syntactic theory; 53. 10. Augustine: Semantics and theology; 54. 11. Semantics and translation; 55. 12. Conclusion; 56. 13. Suggestions for further reading; 57. 14. Bibliographical references; 58. Part IV The Arabic tradition; 59. 1. Introduction; 60. 2. From speaker to text: The exegetical tradition; 61. 3. From text to language: Sibawayhi; 62. 4. The role of semantics in Arabic linguistic theory; 63. 5. The relationship between logic and grammar; 64. 6. The relationship between rhetoric and grammar; 65. 7. Towards a theory of signification; 66. 8. Conclusion; 67. 9. Suggestions for further reading; 68. 10. Bibliographical references; 69. Meaning in four linguistic traditions: a comparison; 70. 1. Introduction; 71. 2. From exegesis to semantics; 72. 3. The role of canonical texts; 73. 4. Beginnings of linguistic thought within canonical texts: etymology; 74. 5. Exegesis; 75. 6. Beginnings of semantic theory: influence from other disciplines-distinction of sound and meaning; 76. 7. The locus of meaning; 77. 8. Incongruity between form and meaning; 78. 9. The nature and origin of language; 79. 10. Contacts between languages: translations; 80. 11. An area of disagreement: The status of exegesis; 81. Chronological Table; 82. Index of names; 83. Index of subjects