The Utility of Meaning: What Words Mean and Why by N.J. Enfield (English) Hardco

Description: The Utility of Meaning by N.J. Enfield This book argues that the complex, anthropocentric, and often culture-specific meanings of words have been shaped directly by their history of utility for communication in social life, and explores relations between language, communication, culture, and mind. It contains extensive data from the authors fieldwork on language and culture in Laos. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description This book argues that the complex, anthropocentric, and often culture-specific meanings of words have been shaped directly by their history of utility for communication in social life. N. J. Enfield draws on semantic and pragmatic case studies from his extensive fieldwork in Laos to investigate a range of semantic fields including emotion terms, culinary terms, landscape terminology, and honorific pronouns, among many others. These studies form the building blocksof a conceptual framework for understanding meaning in language. The book argues that the goals and relevancies of human communication are what bridge the gap between the private representation oflanguage in the mind and its public processes of usage, acquisition, and conventionalization in society. Professor Enfield argues that in order to understand this process, we first need to understand the ways in which linguistic meaning is layered, multiple, anthropocentric, cultural, distributed, and above all, useful.This wide-ranging account brings together several key strands of research across disciplines including semantics, pragmatics, cognitive linguistics, andsociology of language, and provides a rich account of what linguistic meaning is like and why. Author Biography N. J. Enfield is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Sydney. He has carried out extensive field work in mainland Southeast Asia, especially Laos, with a focus on language, culture, cognition, and social interaction. His books include Ethnosyntax (OUP 2002), Linguistic Epidemiology (Routledge 2003), A Grammar of Lao (Mouton de Gruyter 2007), The Anatomy of Meaning (CUP 2009), Relationship Thinking (OUP 2013),and The Cambridge Handbook of Linguistic Anthropology (with P Kockelman and J Sidnell, 2014). He has published over 100 academic articles and reviews. Table of Contents Conventions for linguistic examplesList of figures and tablesPreface1: Introduction2: Meanings are layered3: Meanings are multiple4: Meanings are anthropocentric5: Meanings are cultural6: Meanings are distributed7: Conclusion: Meanings are usefulReferencesIndex Review a new and different approach, one that connects a wide range of discipline areas and offers an account of linguistic meaning that is like no other ... those who love language and who love playing with words and their meanings will surely relish this book. * Kate Burridge, Australian Book Review * Long Description This book argues that the complex, anthropocentric, and often culture-specific meanings of words have been shaped directly by their history of utility for communication in social life. N. J. Enfield draws on semantic and pragmatic case studies from his extensive fieldwork in Laos to investigate a range of semantic fields including emotion terms, culinary terms, landscape terminology, and honorific pronouns, among many others. These studies form the building blocksof a conceptual framework for understanding meaning in language. The book argues that the goals and relevancies of human communication are what bridge the gap between the private representation oflanguage in the mind and its public processes of usage, acquisition, and conventionalization in society. Professor Enfield argues that in order to understand this process, we first need to understand the ways in which linguistic meaning is layered, multiple, anthropocentric, cultural, distributed, and above all, useful.This wide-ranging account brings together several key strands of research across disciplines including semantics, pragmatics, cognitive linguistics, andsociology of language, and provides a rich account of what linguistic meaning is like and why. Review Quote a new and different approach, one that connects a wide range of discipline areas and offers an account of linguistic meaning that is like no other ... those who love language and who love playing with words and their meanings will surely relish this book. Feature Includes extensive data from semantic and pragmatic case studies carried out in Laos, with accompanying illustrations.Proposes an integrated framework for linguistic meaning, bringing together semantics, pragmatics, and broad conceptual structure.Reformulates a classic debate between utilitarian versus intellectualist views of word meaning. Details ISBN0198709838 Year 2014 ISBN-10 0198709838 ISBN-13 9780198709831 Format Hardcover Subtitle What Words Mean and Why Place of Publication Oxford Country of Publication United Kingdom DEWEY 401.43 Media Book Author N.J. Enfield Short Title UTILITY OF MEANING Language English Birth 1966 Position Professor of Linguistics Affiliation Professor of Linguistics, University of Sydney UK Release Date 2014-12-18 NZ Release Date 2014-12-18 Illustrations 40 illustrations Publisher Oxford University Press Publication Date 2014-12-18 Imprint Oxford University Press Audience Tertiary & Higher Education AU Release Date 2014-12-14 Pages 218 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:160217853;

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