LINGUIST List 15.1187

Mon Apr 12 2004

Books: Cognitive Science: Ritchie/Vasishth, Horn (Ed)

Editor for this issue: Neil Salmond <neillinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. kkaneta, The Linguistic Analysis of Jokes: Ritchie
2. kkaneta, Working Memory in Sentence Comprehension: Vasishth, Horn (Ed)

		
Title: The Linguistic Analysis of Jokes
Series Title: Routledge Studies in Linguistics
			
Publication Year: 2003
Publisher:	Routledge (Taylor and Francis) 
		http://www.routledge.com/
			
Author: Graeme Ritchie

Hardback: ISBN: 0415309832, Pages: 256, Price: U.S. $: 95.00


Abstract:
			
This book starts from three observations. First, the use of humour is
a complex, puzzling, and idiosyncratically human form of behaviour
(and hence is of scientific interest). Second, there is currently no
theory of how humour works. Third, one useful step towards a theory of
humour is to analyse humorous items in precise detail, in order to
understand their mechanisms.

The author begins by considering how to study jokes rigorously: the
assumptions to make, the guidelines to follow and the pitfalls to
avoid. A critique of other work on humour is also provided. This
introduces some important concepts, and also demonstrates the lack of
agreement about what a theory of humour should look like. The language
devices used in various jokes, such as puns or humour based on
misinterpretation, are analysed in detail. The central part of the
book develops, and demonstrates, proposals for how best to analyse the
workings of simple jokes. Finally, the author makes some general
suggestions about the language devices that seem to be central to the
construction of jokes.

The Linguistic Analysis of Jokes will be invaluable for researchers
and advanced students of humour research, linguistics and cognitive
science.


Lingfield(s):	Cognitive Science 	

Written In: English (Language Code: English)

 See this book announcement on our website:
	 http://linguistlist.org/get-book.html?BookID=9601 

Title: Working Memory in Sentence Comprehension
Subtitle: Processing Hindi Center Embeddings
Series Title: Outstanding Dissertations in Linguistics 

Publication Year: 2003
Publisher:	Routledge (Taylor and Francis)
		http://www.routledge.com/ 

Author: Shravan Vasishth, Saarland University
Editor: Laurence R Horn, Yale University 

Hardback: ISBN: 0415967619, Pages: 296, Price: U.S. $ 80.00 

			
Abstract:

The first-ever investigation of sentence processing in Hindi, Working
Memory in Sentence Comprehension studies the predictions of three
existing, wide-coverage sentence processing models. In experiments
that apply these models to Hindi, Shravan Vasishth develops a new
sentence processing model that builds on existing theories and
overcomes their empirical problems. Advancing the understanding of
human parsing processes, this book is a landmark in cross-linguistic
research, presenting a challenging set of sentence processing facts
that will impact future theories.


Lingfield(s):	Cognitive Science
		Syntax
		
Subject Language(s):	Hindi (Language code: HND)
		
Written In:	English (Language Code: ENG)

 See this book announcement on our website:
	 http://linguistlist.org/get-book.html?BookID=9616