LINGUIST List 14.3018

Wed Nov 5 2003

Books: Semantics/Pragmatics: Peregrin

Editor for this issue: Marisa Ferrara <marisalinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. j.neden, Meaning: The Dynamic turn: Peregrin

Title: Meaning: The Dynamic turn
Series Title: Current Research in the Semantics Pragmatics Interface
			
Publication Year: 2003
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd. 
 http://www.elsevier.com/locate/linguistics,
	 http://www.socscinet.com/linguistics
			
Book URL:
http://www.elseviersocialsciences.com/isbn/0080441874/index.html
 
Editor: Jaroslav Peregrin, Academy of Sciences, Prague 
				
Hardback: ISBN: 0080441874, Pages: 300, Price: USD 81 EUR 81

Abstract:

In recent decades, many theories of formal semantics of natural
language have undergone what can be called a dynamic turn: they have
moved from treating language as a static system to considering it 'in
action' and to taking meanings as crucially involving 'context-change
potentials'. The theories, however, usually concentrate much more on
the hows of the turn than on its whys; and as a result, the conceptual
foundations of dynamic semantics are much less elaborated than its
technical side. This book, based on a conference held in Prague in
September 2001, is a contribution to filling this gap: it consists of
papers addressing, from various sides, the foundational questions of
the dynamic theories of meaning. It includes contributions of writers
who are commonly held as authorities concerning the turn, who,
however, here concentrate more on the why's than on the how's of
dynamic semantics. Hence the book should be of interest both for those
who want to know what the turn is about, and for those who are not
satisfied with knowing the technical side of dynamic semantics and
want to know its point.

"The contributions to this volume concentrate on the dynamic
understanding of language in discourse, examining both the system
internalized by its speakers and its function in communication. The
"dynamic turn" is one of the most important and topical issues in the
study of meaning. Through exchanges of ideas, The Prague Symposium
(the contributions to which are collected in this volume) has brought
insightful answers from different perspectives to the question "what
is the nature of meaning?" Eva Hajicova, Charles University, Prague
 
Contents 
List of contributors.
Introduction (J. Peregrin).

Foundations.
Structural properties of dynamic reasoning (J. van Benthem).
Construction by description in discourse representation (N. van
 Leusen, R. Muskens).
On the dynamic turn in the study of meaning and interpretation
 (R. Breheny).

Real dynamics (W. Hinzen).

Syntax, Semantics, and Discourse.
Growth of logical form: the dynamics of syntax (R. Kempson et al.).
The double dynamics of definite descriptions (K. von Heusinger).
Dynamics in the meaning of the sentence and of discourse (P. Sgall).
On the meaning of prescriptions (T. Childers, V.Svoboda).
Imperative negation and dynamic semantics (B. Zarnic).

Semantic Games.
Dynamic game semantics (T. Janasik, G. Sandu).
About games and substitution (M. Rebuschi).
In defense of (some) verificationism: verificationism and
 game-theoretical semantics (L. Vigeant).
Name index.
Subject index. 

Lingfield(s): Pragmatics
		Semantics
			 
Written In: English (Language Code: ENG)


 See this book announcement on our website: 
 http://linguistlist.org/get-book.html?BookID=8075.