inter-stratal tension

Meaning and Humour

Dec 15

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Title: Meaning and Humour
Series Title: Key Topics in Semantics and Pragmatics

Publication Year: 2012
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
http://us.cambridge.org

Book URL: http://www.cambridge.org/us/knowledge/isbn/item6636912/Meaning%20and%20Humour/?site_locale=en_US

Author: Andrew Goatly

Paperback: ISBN: 9780521181068 Pages: 380 Price: U.S. $ 35.99
: ISBN: 9781107004634 Pages: 380 Price: U.S. $ 95.00

Abstract:

How are humorous meanings generated and interpreted? Understanding a joke
involves knowledge of the language code (a matter mostly of semantics) and
background knowledge necessary for making the inferences to get the joke (a
matter of pragmatics). This book introduces and critiques a wide range of
semantic and pragmatic theories in relation to humour, such as systemic
functional linguistics, speech acts, politeness and relevance theory,
emphasising not only conceptual but also interpersonal and textual meanings.
Exploiting recent corpus-based research, it suggests that much humour can be
accounted for by the overriding of lexical priming. Each chapter’s discussion
topics and suggestions for further reading encourage a critical approach to
semantic and pragmatic theory. Written by an experienced lecturer on the
linguistics of the English language, this is an entertaining and user-friendly
textbook for advanced students of semantics, pragmatics and humour studies.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Meaning in the language system: aspects of form and meaning
3. Semantics and conceptual meaning of grammar
4. Semantics and the conceptual meaning of lexis
5. Personal, social and affective meanings
6. Textual meaning and genre
7. Metaphor and figures of speech
8. Pragmatics, reference and speech-acts
9. Pragmatics: co-operation and politeness
10. Relevance theory, schemas and deductive inference
11. Lexical priming: information, collocation, predictability and humour.