LING 341 - Semantics

Semantics is the branch of linguistics that deals with the relationship between the form and meaning of linguistic expressions (morphemes, words, phrases, and sentences). The basic project of formal semantics is to develop a theory of how the meaning of a complex linguistic expression is built up, or “computed,” from the meanings of its constituent parts and how those parts are combined. In this course we sketch a formal compositional model for the semantics of English and consider how this model captures speakers’ intuitions about entailment, presupposition, and ambiguity. Topics covered include inference relations and concepts of meaning, developing a metalanguage (based on simple set theory and propositional logic) for representing the denotations of expressions, functions and lambda notation, definiteness, quantification and logical form, modality and possible worlds, and the relationship between semantics and pragmatics.

Unit(s): 1
Group Distribution Requirement(s): Distribution Group II
Prerequisite(s): LING 323 or equivalent. Students who have already completed LING 211 may take LING 323 concurrently with this course.
Instructional Method: Conference
Grading Mode: Letter grading (A-F)
Group Distribution Learning Outcome(s):

Evaluate data and/or sources.
Analyze institutions, formations, languages, structures, or processes, whether social, political, religious, economic, cultural, intellectual or other.
Think in sophisticated ways about causation, social and/or historical change, human cognition, or the relationship between individuals and society, or engage with social, political, religious or economic theory in other areas.