Semantics in Action

Equips students to analyze meaning across languages using clear tools and rich examples

Semantics in Action provides an accessible yet rigorous introduction to natural language semantics. Organized around core semantic phenomena such as quantification, relative clauses, modality, events, tense, and aspect, this concise textbook builds skills through detailed, compositional analyses and carefully chosen illustrative examples. Author Toshiyuki Ogihara, a leading voice in cross-linguistic semantic theory and research, anchors the discussion in English and supplements it with Japanese examples.

Balancing clarity with linguistic diversity, each chapter offers lucid explanations, guided analyses, and exercises that help students develop a precise understanding of semantic theory and its application. Ogihara emphasizes the compositional nature of meaning, the syntax-semantics interface, and the utility of semantic reasoning in linguistic research. Providing the foundation to engage deeply with natural language semantics, either as part of formal coursework or as preparation for more advanced research, Semantics in Action:

• Offers a step-by-step approach to compositional semantic analysis with simple, well-chosen examples
• Integrates English as the primary object language with targeted Japanese data to highlight theoretical contrasts
• Supports cross-linguistic analysis, especially for students whose native language differs structurally from English
• Includes exercises as well as charts and figures throughout

Equipping students with both theoretical insight and practical tools for independent research, Semantics in Action is ideal for advanced undergraduates or beginning graduate students enrolled in courses such as Formal Semantics and Natural Language Semantics.