The problem of definition has a long history and has engaged the minds of some of the most eminent thinkers in the Western tradition, from Plato and Aristotle onwards. But it is also an everyday problem constantly confronting all who have to draft or interpret the countless texts on which modern society depends. Definition in Theory and Practice focuses on two areas where difficulties arise in a particularly acute form: lexicography and the law. Examining a wide range of approaches and definitional techniques, backed up by detailed analyses of dictionary entries and court cases, the authors provide a comprehensive survey of their subject. They argue that what underlies the problem of definition are conflicting assumptions about the way language functions. This in-depth study of definition will be of interest to academics researching lexicography, semantics and the intersection of linguistics and jurisprudence.
The problem of definition has a long history and has engaged the minds of some of the most eminent thinkers in the Western tradition, from Plato and Aristotle onwards. But it is also an everyday problem constantly confronting all who have to draft or interpret the countless texts on which modern society depends. Definition in Theory and Practice focuses on two areas where difficulties arise in a particularly acute form: lexicography and the law. Examining a wide range of approaches and definitional techniques, backed up by detailed analyses of dictionary entries and court cases, the authors provide a comprehensive survey of their subject. They argue that what underlies the problem of definition are conflicting assumptions about the way language functions. This in-depth study of definition will be of interest to academics researching lexicography, semantics and the intersection of linguistics and jurisprudence.
Preface Part One: Definition and Theory 1. On stipulative definition 2. On definition and common usage 3. On real definition 4. Ostensive definition and linguistic theory Part Two: Definition and the Dictionary 5. The lexicographer's task 6. Definitions and history 7. Types and problems of definition Part Three: Definition and the Law 8. The definition of law and legal definition 9. Strategies of construction 10. Linguistics, science and meaning Part Four: Conclusion 11. Definition, indeterminacy and reference Bibliography Index
The long history of conflicting assumptions about the way language functions has engaged the minds of some of the most eminent thinkers in the Western tradition. This text explores the problem of definition, focusing in particular on two areas where this difficulty has arisen in a particularly acute form: lexicography and the law.
Roy Harris is Emeritus Professor of General Linguistics at the University of Oxford, UK. Christopher Hutton is Head of the English Department at the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
"I would recommend this book"
Journal of sociolinguistics, 13/3, 2009 --Sanford Lakoff
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