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Evolving Meaning in Language

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Abstract

The chapter explains why propositional meaning and formal semantics are dispensed with in favor of two other conceptions of meaning: meaning as intention and meaning as knowledge. In relation to the latter concept, the chapter presents Lyons’ discussion of the meaning of “meaning” and the feature of reciprocity of language. His semantic conception of lexemes (vocabulary words) is related to “concepts” and “categories” in cognitive psychology. The chapter raises the question of whether “meaning” in pre-literate and modern languages is comparable. Comparative studies of the distinction between implicit and explicit categorizations and studies of the neurobiology of lexical meaning are reviewed. The chapter argues for a social dimension of “meaning,” which requires collaborative structures in language acquisition.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Arild Lian

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  1. Arild Lian
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Lian, A. (2016). Evolving Meaning in Language. In: Language Evolution and Developmental Impairments. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-58746-6_5

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