Words and Meaning in Metasemantics

Juan J. Colomina-Alminana is assistant professor in the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures and the Interdepartmental Program in Linguistics at Louisiana State University.

Chapter 1: The Traditional View Chapter 2: The Psychological Relevance of Propositional Content Chapter 3: The Conventionality of Propositional Content Chapter 4: The Interactive Theory Chapter 5. Expanding the Interactive Theory Chapter 6: Application 1: Tensed Sentences Chapter 7: Application 2: Disagreements Chapter 8: Application 3: Presupposition Projection

Juan Colomina Alminana's book, Words and Meaning in Metasemantics: Grounds for an Interactive Theory, introduces a new theory of meaning in linguistic expressions: The Interactive Theory. According to this theory, the cognitive content of words and sentences depends on three essential elements: the speaker's intentions, the audience's uptake, and the linguistic conventions. This combination is novel and explains linguistic meaning and behavior better than other prevailing approaches. What is noteworthy in Colomina Alminana's approach is its commitment to the mutual influence of language, thought, and culture. This feature makes his theory more extensive and philosophically more interesting than conventional semantic theories. -- Antti Hautamaki, professor emeritus, University of Jyvaskyla Juan Jose Colomina-Alminana proposes an original 'metasemantic' view that combines a lucid and well-formulated account of the classical theories and controversies with a successful bid for a new 'Interactive Theory,' taking the problems out of the orbit of many linguistic and philosophical discussions and into the language use (or 'languaging') of human speakers in society. The book's approach is thus essentially pragmatic in the modern sense, not just by its willful disregard of any formal-descriptive methods, with their basically set theory-bound visions, but also for its intelligent and often entertaining discussions of old chestnuts such as the 'donkey anaphora,' 'compositionality,' and 'common ground,' to name a few. I found the author's take on these old, often somewhat stale topics invigorating and enlightening. Here, as elsewhere, Juan Jose Colomina-Alminana shows his talent for an analysis which systematically combines new and classic views. This work is strongly recommended reading for anyone interested in an up-to-date view of the main problems in current philosophies of language, with a new approach to some of its worst conundrums. -- Jacob L. Mey, professor emeritus, Southern Denmark University