Meaning

(4 Credits)

An introduction to the scientific study of meaning. How can we model our intuitive knowledge of meaning in a way that does not merely translate words into other words? In particular, how exactly does the meaning of a complex expression depend on the meanings of its parts? For instance, what is the meaning of a question? The emphasis will be on building basic theoretical tools, concepts, and techniques that will allow us to analyze a variety of beautiful and intricate patterns of meaning in natural language. Formerly Introduction to Semantics.