Admission requirements
none
Description
There are systematic patterns in how sentence meanings in natural language are computed based on the meanings of the sentence's components plus the way these components are put together in syntax. Formal Semantics is a theoretical framework that enables us to empirically investigate and describe these patterns, employing tools made available by linguistics, logic and cognitive science.
This course is the first course of the two-semester introduction to formal semantics. Topics of the first semester include:
Classification of meanings,
Lexical semantics,
Sentence meanings as truth-conditions,
Principle of compositionality,
Propositional logic,
Predicate logic,
Discourse and pragmatics.
Course objectives
To learn the basic notions of formal semantics.
To acquire the basic skills to analyze the meanings of simple declarative sentences.
To be able to read and write propositional and predicate logical formulae.
Timetable
Visit MyTimetable.
Mode of instruction
Lecture/seminar
Assessment method
Weekly homework assignment (25%)
Written exam (open book) with short open questions (75%)
Resit
A resit will be offered for the exam, and students will have the opportunity to drop their lowest homework grades and make up late homework for 50% of the points.
Reading list
A course in semantics Altshuler, Parsons & Schwarzschild, MIT Press, 2019
as well a supplementary materials that will be provided during the course.
Registration
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available on this website
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
not applicable
Contact
For questions related to the content of the course, please contact the lecturer, you can find their contact information by clicking on their name in the sidebar.
For questions regarding enrollment please contact the Education Administration Office Reuvensplaats
E-mail address Education Administration Office Reuvensplaats: osz-oa-reuvensplaats@hum.leidenuniv.nl
For questions regarding your studyprogress contact the Coordinator of Studies
Remarks
not applicable