What is Meaning Fundamentals of Formal Semantics [Hardcover]

• Explains the fundamental ideas and some of the most significant results of modern semantic theory
• Combines foundational discussion with simplified analyses of complex phenomena to provide readers with a sense of the fascination to be found in the details of the human language
• Includes exercises and thought-provoking questions to facilitate learning

Acknowledgments x

1 The Fundamental Question 1

1.1 What is a Meaning? 3

1.2 Meanings are Out in the World 11

1.3 We should Think of the Meaning of Sentences in Terms of Truth-Conditions 12

2 Putting a Meaning Together from Pieces 28

2.1 Names Refer 29

2.2 Incomplete Propositions 30

2.3 Prediction is Saturation 31

2.4 Compositionality 33

2.5 Syntax and Semantics 34

3 More about Predicates 40

3.1 Other Types of Predicates: Adjectives, Predicate Nominals 40

3.2 Transitive Verbs 44

3.3 Relative Clauses 45

3.4 Topicalization 48

3.5 Sub-atomic Semantics 49

3.6 Modeling Properties with Sets and Functions 54

4 Modifiers 61

4.1 Adjective + N Combination 61

4.2 More Issues with Adjectives 65

4.3 Relative Clauses as Modifier 68

4.4 Adverbs 69