Metaphor and Lexical Semantics

ABSTRACT: This paper shows that several sorts of expressions cannot be interpreted metaphorically, including determiners, tenses, etc. Generally, functional categories cannot be interpreted metaphorically, while lexical categories can. This reveals a semantic property of functional categories, and it shows that metaphor can be used as a probe for investigating them. It also reveals an important linguistic constraint on metaphor. The paper argues this constraint applies to the interface between the cognitive systems for language and metaphor. However, the constraint does not completely prevent structural elements of language from being available to the metaphor system. The paper shows that linguistic structure within the lexicon, specifically, aspectual structure, is available to the metaphor system

But Without …? Reflections on Pietroski’s Conjoining Meanings

In this short note, I discuss the viability of truth-conditional semantics in light of Pietroski’s criticisms. I explore an alternative view that follows Pietroski in putting emphasis on the relation of meanings to concepts, but makes some room for truth conditions

Presupposition and Policing in Complex Demonstratives

Philosoph

Introduction to the Volume Linking Senses: Cross-Modality in the Perceptual Domains

N/

Editors’ Introduction

Spatial cognition can be considered as a set of foundational and central cognitive abilities that enable a variety of conceptual processes, both non-verbal and verbal. Further, according to recent research, spatial thinking seems to be critical in the development of abstract knowledge and in the processes of abstraction. Although there is a consensus regarding the role and impact of spatial cognition, there are a number of different, divergent, and sometimes even discrepant theoretical and methodological perspectives in the study of spatial cognition

Editors\u27 Introduction

The papers published in this volume were presented at the 6th International Symposium of Cognition, Logic and Communication, entitled ‘Formal Semantics and Pragmatics: Discourse, Context, and Models’, taking place at the University of Latvia, Riga, initially scheduled for April 2010

Pronouns and Gender

This chapter introduces readers to the empirical questions at issue in debates over gendered pronouns and assesses the plausibility of various possible answers to these questions. It has two parts. The first is a general introduction to the linguistics and psychology of grammatical gender. The second focuses on the meanings of gendered pronouns in English. It begins with a discussion of some methodological limitations of empirical approaches to the topic and the normative implications of those limitations. It then argues against three simple theories of the semantics of gendered pronouns in English and proposes an alternative that fares better: the Gender-First View. Finally, it discusses the singular use of 'they' and its connection to nonbinary gender identities