Lexical Meaning
Published on 28. October 2010
Book
Paperback/Softback
276 pages
978-0-521-67764-6 (ISBN)
Description
The ideal introduction for students of semantics, Lexical Meaning fills the gap left by more general semantics textbooks, providing the teacher and the student with insights into word meaning beyond the traditional overviews of lexical relations. The book explores the relationship between word meanings and syntax and semantics more generally. It provides a balanced overview of the main theoretical approaches, along with a lucid explanation of their relative strengths and weaknesses. After covering the main topics in lexical meaning, such as polysemy and sense relations, the textbook surveys the types of meanings represented by different word classes. It explains abstract concepts in clear language, using a wide range of examples, and includes linguistic puzzles in each chapter to encourage the student to practise using the concepts. 'Adopt-a-Word' exercises give students the chance to research a particular word, building a portfolio of specialist work on a single word.
Reviews / Votes
'A lucid, explanatory, problem-oriented textbook promoting original student research. The Adopt-a-Word scheme is ingenious.' Carita Paradis, Linnaeus University 'A thorough and lucidly written introduction to lexical semantics, ranging from classic philosophical puzzles to current theoretical issues in the study of word meaning. The puzzle and Adopt-a-Word exercises enable students to build their analytical skills and explore theoretical consequences.' Rochelle Lieber, University of New Hampshire 'Murphy's new book will surely become a favourite among textbooks on semantics, thanks to the good balance and accessibility of topics provided, its well-constructed exercises, and the clear focus on the intended readership.' Linguist ListMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
11 Tables, black and white; 30 Line drawings, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 244 mm
Width: 170 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
482 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-521-67764-6 (9780521677646)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
M. Lynne Murphy
Lexical Meaning
E-Book
11/2010
1st Edition
Cambridge University Press
€38.49
Available for download
Person
M. Lynne Murphy is Senior Lecturer in Linguistics in the School of English at the University of Sussex.
Content
Part I. Meaning and the Lexicon: 1. The lexicon - some preliminaries; 2. What do we mean by meaning?; 3. Components and prototypes; 4. Modern componential approaches - and some alternatives; Part II. Relations among Words and Senses: 5. Meaning variation: polysemy, homonymy and vagueness; 6. Lexical and semantic relations; Part III. Word Classes and Semantic Types: 7. Ontological categories and word classes; 8. Nouns and countability; 9. Predication: verbs, events, and states; 10. Verbs and time; 11. Adjectives and properties.