Words and Meaning in Metasemantics

Juan J. Colomina-Almiñana 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 ViewChapter 2: The Psychological Relevance of Propositional ContentChapter 3: The Conventionality of Propositional ContentChapter 4: The Interactive TheoryChapter 5. Expanding the Interactive TheoryChapter 6: Application 1: Tensed SentencesChapter 7: Application 2: DisagreementsChapter 8: Application 3: Presupposition Projection

Juan Colomina Almiñana’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 Almiñana’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.