This textbook introduces the foundational concepts, principles and techniques in formal semantics of natural
language. The book is intended for readers who have some elementary
background in set theory and linguistics, but does not assume any
expertise in logic, math, or theoretical linguistics. By way of
analyzing concrete English examples, the book brings central concepts
and tools to the forefront, calling attention to the beauty of the
mathematical principles underlying linguistic meanings. From teachers who used this book: I
haven’t seen the foundations of formal semantics explained more
clearly, more cleanly and more elegantly anywhere before. Hans Kamp, University of Stuttgart and The University of Texas at Austin
I
very much like the book's content and style. An excellent core text for
linguists for about 9 weeks of a 14-week semester. In my course it
proved most useful after I gave students some logic background,and it
provided a good basis for branching out into further topics of
current interest in formal semantics in the end. Anna Szabolcsi, New York University This book offers a thorough grounding to beginners in formal semantics,
suitable for one-semester courses. It is pedagogically well-crafted,
with clear and detailed explanations and many exercises. Lawrence S. Moss, Indiana University, Bloomington
From reviews: A clear, readable, and most useful introduction to formal semantics of
natural language—both the semantics part and the mathematical
formulation. Edward L. Keenan, University of California, Los Angeles Journal of Logic, Language and Information, 16 Nov. 2017 - full review A
very versatile book, useful as a primary textbook, as a secondary
textbook for more advanced or formally inclined students, or as a
source of supplementary formal definitions and exercises. Jessica Rett, University of California, Los Angeles Glossa, 20 Oct. 2016 - full review Winter
presents the semantics of language in a manner that shows that logic
originates in language, and is not just "applied to language". This
book can be treated as a modern continuation of Formal semantics and Logic
by B. C. van Fraassen. Ioachim Mihai Drugus, Academy of Sciences, Moldova MathSciNet, 2018 - full review Clear,
precise, and friendly introduction to formal natural language semantics
for students with mathematical maturity. An excellent text for courses
on natural language meaning and related topics in computer science, artificial intelligence, or philosophy. Michael Yoshitaka Erlewine, National University of Singapore Computational Linguistics, 26 Jan. 2017 - full review There are topics that are treated more accurately and systematically here than
anywhere else. But as I see it, there are also topics and ways to treat
them that suffer, sometimes unnecessarily, and some chances that are
missed. Kjell Johan Sæbø, University of Oslo Journal of Logic, Language and Information, 23 Feb. 2017 - full review Precise,
clear, and admirably brief. While not too technical, it employs a
fairly high level of mathematical abstraction, and will probably be
tough going for students who are not accustomed to this. However,
it will be very informative and useful for those who are. Daniel Lassiter, Stanford University Journal of Linguistics, 15 Aug. 2017 - full review
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