Overview

This book explores the semantic and pragmatic mechanisms underlying grammaticalization. Regine Eckardt argues that language change frequently involves a structural reorganization at the phonological, morphological, and syntactic levels. Speakers not only master the structural aspect of such reanalyses, they also-as the author argues-keep a detailed mental record of what has happened to meaning. The author develops semantic reanalysis as the semantic correlate and tracks its effects in meaning change. Several case studies offer new insights in the architecture of conceptual thinking that is part of the human language faculty. Professor Eckardt develops her approach in terms of formal semantic theory. She shows how neatly tailored analyses in truth-conditional compositional semantics can elucidate the structural mechanisms of meaning change. Her exposition is advanced in the context of several in-depth case studies containing data new to historical linguistics.

Full Product Details

Author:   Regine Eckardt (University of Gottingen)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press
Imprint:   Oxford University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.70cm , Height: 1.70cm , Length: 23.40cm
Weight:   0.473kg
ISBN:  

9780199556472

ISBN 10:   0199556474
Pages:   298
Publication Date:   02 October 2008
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

1: Introduction 2: Meaning Change Under Reanalysis: Previous Views 3: Truth Conditional Semantics 4: What is Going to Happen 5: From Step to Negation: The Development of French Complex Negation Patterns 6: From Intensifier to Focus Particle 7: To Be or Not To Be a Determiner 8: Semantic Reanalysis: The Algebraic Backbone of Meaning Change Appendix Source Texts by Chapter References Index

Reviews

The book is well written and presents its argumentation with clarity, frequently supported by illustrative examples from different languages...in this book Eckard undoubtedly makes a significant contribution to our understanding of semantic reanalysis, one which serves as a useful complement to other approaches to meaning change in grammaticalization. Maria Jose Lopez-Couso Journal of Historical Pragmatics

The book is well written and presents its argumentation with clarity, frequently supported by illustrative examples from different languages...in this book Eckard undoubtedly makes a significant contribution to our understanding of semantic reanalysis, one which serves as a useful complement to other approaches to meaning change in grammaticalization. * Maria Jose Lopez-Couso Journal of Historical Pragmatics *

The book is well written and presents its argumentation with clarity, frequently supported by illustrative examples from different languages...in this book Eckard undoubtedly makes a significant contribution to our understanding of semantic reanalysis, one which serves as a useful complement to other approaches to meaning change in grammaticalization. * Mar´ia Jos´e L´opez-Couso Journal of Historical Pragmatics *

The book is well written and presents its argumentation with clarity, frequently supported by illustrative examples from different languages...in this book Eckard undoubtedly makes a significant contribution to our understanding of semantic reanalysis, one which serves as a useful complement to other approaches to meaning change in grammaticalization. * María José López-Couso Journal of Historical Pragmatics *

Author Information

Regine Eckardt is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Göttingen and associate editor of the Journal of Semantics. She is the author of Events, Adverbs and Other Things (1998) and of numerous articles on semantics, pragmatics, and language change, and with Klaus von Heusinger and Christoph Schwarze, editor of Words in Time (2003).

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions