John Lyons is recognized internationally as one of the most influential scholars in modern linguistics. This volume contains essays spanning many years of his thought and research, in addition to previously unpublished pieces. Chapters 2, 3 and 4 make their first appearance here, and set out the view of linguistics and linguistic theory which underlies the content of this and a (forthcoming) companion volume. The remaining six chapters have been either extensively revised or annotated to provide the reader with their historical context and to bring them into line with the author's current thinking.