Semantics: Primes and Universals / Edition 1

by Anna Wierzbicka

Overview

Conceptual primitives and semantic universals are the cornerstones of a semantic theory which Anna Wierzbicka has been developing for many years. Semantics: Primes and Universals is a major synthesis of her work, presenting a full and systematic exposition of that theory in a non-technical and readable way. It delineates a full set of universal concepts, as they have emerged from large-scale investigations across a wide range of languages undertaken by the author and her colleagues. On the basis of empirical cross-linguistic studies it vindicates the old notion of the "psychic unity of mankind", while at the same time offering a framework for the rigorous description of different languages and cultures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198700036
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	05/09/1996
Series:	St. in Classification Data Analysis
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	512
Product dimensions:	9.19(w) x 6.12(h) x 1.08(d)

About the Author

Australian National University, Canberra

Editorial Reviews

"One cannot help but be impressed by the range of language-related topics Wierzbicka's work encompasses and by the thorough control commanded by her of the relevant literature pertaining to these diverse areas"—Anthropological Linguistics

From the Publisher