From Etymology to Pragmatics ：Metaphorical and Cultural Aspects of Semantic Structure ( Cambridge Studies in Linguistics )

Publication subTitle ：Metaphorical and Cultural Aspects of Semantic Structure

Publication series ：Cambridge Studies in Linguistics

Author： Eve Sweetser  

Publisher： Cambridge University Press‎

Publication year： 1991

E-ISBN: 9781316039182

P-ISBN(Paperback): 9780521424424

Subject： H03 semantics, pragmatics, lexicology, and semantics

Keyword： 语言学

Language： ENG

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From Etymology to Pragmatics

Description

This book offers a distinct approach to the analysis of the multiple meanings of English modals, conjunctions, conditionals and perception verbs. Although such ambiguities cannot easily be accounted for by feature-analyses of word meaning, Eve Sweetser's argument shows that they can be analysed both readily and systematically. Meaning relationships in general cannot be understood independently of human cognitive structure, including the metaphorical and cultural aspects of that structure. Sweetser shows that both lexical polysemy and pragmatic ambiguity are shaped by our metaphorical folk understanding of epistemic processes and of speech interaction. Similar regularities can be shown to structure the contrast between root, epistemic and 'speech-act' uses of modal verbs, multiple uses of conjunctions and conditionals, and certain processes of historical change observed in Indo-European languages. Since polysemy is typically the intermediate step in semantic change, the same regularities observable in polysemy can be extended to an analysis of semantic change. This book will attract students and researchers in linguistics, philosophy, the cognitive sciences, and all those interested in metaphor.

Chapter

Cover

Title

Copyright

Epigraph

Contents

Preface

List of abbreviations

Introduction

1.1 Past approaches and problems

1.2 Cognitively oriented recent work in semantics

1.3 Semantic change and polysemy patterns: metaphorical connections between semantic fields

Semantic structure and semantic change: English perception-verbs in an Indo-European context

2.1 Introduction

2.2 The Mind-as-Body Metaphor

2.3 Sense-perception verbs in English and Indo-European

2.4 The structure of our metaphors of perception

2.5 Conclusions

Modality

3.1 Introduction

3.2 The root modals in English

3.3 Epistemic modality as an extension of root modality

3.4 Speech-act verbs and speech-act modality

3.5 Conclusions

Conjunction, coordination, and subordination

4.1 Causal and adversative conjunctions

4.2 And, or, and but

4.3 Conclusions

Conditionals

5.1 Conditionals in three domains

5.2 Real and apparent ambiguities between classes of conditionals

5.3 If as a topic marker

5.4 The even-if reading of conditionals

5.5 Conclusions

Appendix to section 5.1.3

Retrospect and prospect

Notes

References

Index of names

Subject index

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