Definition in Theory and Practice: Language, Lexicography and the Law
(Hardback)
Available Formats
Publishing Details
Definition in Theory and Practice: Language, Lexicography and the Law
By (Author) Roy Harris
By (author) Christopher Hutton
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.
24th May 2007
United Kingdom
Classifications
Tertiary Education
Non Fiction
Jurisprudence and general issues
401.4
Physical Properties
Hardback
250
Width 156mm, Height 234mm
550g
Description
The problem of definition has a long history and has engaged the minds of some of the most eminent thinkers in the Western tradition, from Plato and Aristotle onwards. But it is also an everyday problem constantly confronting all who have to draft or interpret the countless texts on which modern society depends. Definition in Theory and Practice focuses on two areas where difficulties arise in a particularly acute form: lexicography and the law. Examining a wide range of approaches and definitional techniques, backed up by detailed analyses of dictionary entries and court cases, the authors provide a comprehensive survey of their subject. They argue that what underlies the problem of definition are conflicting assumptions about the way language functions. This in-depth study of definition will be of interest to academics researching lexicography, semantics and the intersection of linguistics and jurisprudence.
Reviews
"I would recommend this book"
Journal of sociolinguistics, 13/3, 2009 --Sanford Lakoff
Author Bio
Roy Harris is Emeritus Professor of General Linguistics at the University of Oxford, UK. Christopher Hutton is Head of the English Department at the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
