SoSe 17: Ü-Semantics and Pragmatics I
Martin Konvicka
Information for students
Comments
This lecture will cover central areas of semantics and pragmatics. These two subfields of linguistics are concerned with the meaning of linguistic expressions. Whereas semantics primarily refer to the meaning of individual expressions (morphemes, words, sentences, texts, etc.), pragmatics is concerned with the role of context for understanding this meaning. During the semester, we will discuss such topics as semantic change, language relativity (aka Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis), conversational implicatures, reference, metaphor, speech act theory, sematic features, prototypes, politeness theory, ambiguity and many more. Moreover, we will discuss these phenomena against the background of the general development of linguistics.
Requirements are regular and active attendance as well as the willingness to occasionally read texts in preparation for each session.
close14 Class schedule
Regular appointments