COGS 335 Semantics and Pragmatics

Language allows us to communicate our thoughts and ideas to each other because linguistic expressions are meaningful. But what makes these expressions meaningful, and what does their meaning consist in? Contributions to answering these questions come from two areas of linguistics: semantics – the study of the meaning of linguistic expressions – and pragmatics – the study of how the context in which linguistic expressions are used contributes to what they convey. This class will survey the current state of research in semantics and pragmatics to provide students with a grounding in the central issues surrounding the study of linguistic meaning.

Credits

4 units

Prerequisite

COGS 101 or LING 301

Core Requirements Met

• Mathematics/Science