Semantics in Action

Name: Semantics in Action
Price: 72.95 AUD
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ISBN: 9781394244850

A Hands-On Guide

Toshiyuki Ogihara (University of Washington)

$72.95

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

John Wiley & Sons Inc
29 July 2026

Historical & comparative linguistics; Semantics; Language Teaching (non-ELT)

Series: Linguistics in the World

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.

By: Toshiyuki Ogihara (University of Washington)
Imprint: John Wiley & Sons Inc
Country of Publication: United States
ISBN: 9781394244850
ISBN 10: 1394244851
Series: Linguistics in the World
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 29 July 2026
Audience: College/higher education , A / AS level , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

TOSHIYUKI OGIHARA is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Washington. His research focuses on formal semantics, with particular expertise in tense, aspect, and modality in both English and Japanese. He has published extensively on temporal semantics and the syntax-semantics interface and has co-authored comparative work on Hebrew, Korean, and historical Japanese.