ALAN CRUSE

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the ways in which meaning is conveyed in language. It covers topics normally considered to fall under pragmatics, as well as semantic matters. The author seeks, above all, to display and to explain the richness and subtlety of meaning, and to that end provides abundant exemplification throughout the text. Numerous exercises (and suggested answers) are provided at every stage. The book is not bound to any particular theory, but provides explanations of theoretical approaches and perspectives as the context requires. The author stresses the need for conceptual clarity in all analyses of meaning. Meaning in Language is readable and vigorous, written with style and wit. It will be widely welcomed by students in linguistics, philosophy, and literature.

La lingüística cognitiva afirma que el lenguaje está regido por principios cognitivos generales, más que por un módulo específico para el mismo. Este manual introductorio analiza el campo de la lingüística cognitiva como un área de estudio definida, presentando sus bases teóricas y los argumentos que la sostienen. Organizado y escrito de un modo claro y accesible, el texto aporta una útil introducción a la relación entre el lenguaje y los procesos cognitivos cerebrales; abarca los temas principales presentes en los cursos y seminarios de lingüística y ofrece una síntesis de las investigaciones y los estudios realizados en un campo que ha crecido muy rápidamente en los últimos años. Los autores comienzan explicando las estructuras conceptuales y los procesos cognitivos que rigen la representación lingüística y la conducta, y continúan explorando los enfoques cognitivos de la semántica léxica, así como de la representación y el análisis sintáctico, con especial atención a las estructuras de la gramática cognitiva y la gramática de la construcción, estrechamente relacionadas. El presente volumen constituye un manual imprescindible para los estudiantes tanto de lingüística como de ciencia cognitiva.

Cognitive Linguistics argues that language is governed by general cognitive principles, rather than by a special-purpose language module. This introductory textbook surveys the field of cognitive linguistics as a distinct area of study, presenting its theoretical foundations and the arguments supporting it. Clearly organised and accessibly written, it provides a useful introduction to the relationship between language and cognitive processing in the human brain. It covers the main topics likely to be encountered in a course or seminar, and provides a synthesis of study and research in this fast-growing field of linguistics. The authors begin by explaining the conceptual structures and cognitive processes governing linguistic representation and behaviour, and go on to explore cognitive approaches to lexical semantics, as well as syntactic representation and analysis, focusing on the closely related frameworks of cognitive grammar and construction grammar. This much-needed introduction will be welcomed by students in linguistics and cognitive science.