Semantics and Pragmatics
Semantics and pragmatics research at Stanford aims to develop theoretical models that appreciate and explain the complexity of meaning witnessed in language use.
Research
The Stanford semantics and pragmatics community encompasses a broad range of interests including:
- Lexical semantics
- Formal semantics and pragmatics, and their interfaces with syntax
- Psycholinguistics
- Numerous sub-areas of psychology, philosophy, and computer science
We share the goal of grounding theories of meaning in diverse research methodologies, including:
- Formal linguistic analysis
- Psycholinguistic experimentation
- Computational modeling
- Corpus studies
- Fieldwork on less widely studied languages
Coursework
We offer courses ranging from introductory courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels to seminars on cutting edge topics and workshops focused on developing key research skills.
Recent seminar topics have included:
- Temporal interpretation
- Experimental studies of quantification
- Definiteness
- Gradation
- Modality
- Negation
- Conditionals
- Causation
Community
Faculty and students participate in a wide range of research projects, many of them collaborative. Many of them also span subfields of linguistics or reach out to neighboring disciplines. There are usually informal reading or working groups that reflect the community's ever evolving research interests, as well as occasional larger gatherings, such as Construction of Meaning Workshops and an annual SemFest.
