Meaning in Language: An Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics (Oxford Textbooks in Linguistics) - Softcover

Review from previous edition 'Written in clear and concise language, this book offers comprehensive coverage of the topics in the study of meaning in language. Students will profit considerably by reading this excellent text' (Huimin Ji, University of Georgia)

'The book introduces the reader to the complex topic of meaning in language, providing and excellent comprehensive survey of the full range of semantic phenomena. The author is aware that the richness and variety of the presented topic could cause feelings of confusion, especially to less experienced readers, and thus offers a text with extensive explanatory power.' (Gabriela Missikova, University of Constantine the Philosopher)

Praise for the new edition 'Building on the many strengths of the first edition of Meaning in Language, Alan Cruse has significantly updated this already valuable textbook. New thinking about lexical semantics can be found alongside concise and pithy illustrations of all aspects of pragmatics and grammar, making this an excellent resource for any reader interested in the nuts and bolts of linguistic meaning.' (Mark Turin, Digital Himalaya Project, University of Cambridge)

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the ways in which meaning is conveyed in language, covering not only semantic matters but also topics normally considered to fall under pragmatics. Above all, the book displays and explains the richness and subtlety of meaning, with the aid of numerous examples and exercises throughout the text. Highly readable, written with style and wit, Meaning in Language is not bound to any particular theory, but provides explanations of theoretical approaches and perspectives as the context requires, with a stress throughout on the need for conceptual clarity. The text and exercises in this third edition have been fully updated to take into account the most recent developments in the field and new chapters have been added, one on the semantics of prepositions and another on the semantics of derivational affixes.