The book review titled "Semantics" by Wafa Ismail Saud examines F. R. Palmer's seminal work "Semantics" (2nd edition, 1981). The review focuses on providing a comprehensive overview of Palmer's introduction to the study of meaning in linguistics.
The purpose of this review is to analyze and evaluate Palmer's book, highlighting its structure, content, strengths, and potential areas for improvement. The reviewer systematically examines each chapter, summarizing key concepts and comparing Palmer's approach to other scholars in the field.
Methodologically, the reviewer conducts a chapter-by-chapter analysis, synthesizing the main ideas presented by Palmer and offering critical commentary. The review also draws comparisons with other semantic texts, particularly Hurford and Heasley's "Semantics: A Coursebook" (1983).
Key findings of the review include an appreciation for Palmer's clear and accessible introduction to various aspects of semantics, including the nature of meaning, scope of semantics, language-world relationships, word meanings, sense relations, grammar and semantics connections, utterance meaning, and logic concepts. The reviewer notes that Palmer succeeds in providing a scholarly yet readable work suitable for anyone interested in linguistic meaning.
The review concludes that Palmer's "Semantics" is an excellent resource for those seeking a thorough understanding of semantics, offering a comprehensive introduction to various types of meanings. The reviewer praises the book's organization, coverage, and value as a reference source. However, suggestions for improvement are offered, including adding a glossary of terms, recommending further reading, supplementing with practice exercises, and incorporating footnotes for additional explanations.
Overall, the review positions Palmer's "Semantics" as a major and valuable contribution to the field, highlighting its strengths in providing accessible and solid content for students while acknowledging areas where it could be enhanced to further support readers' understanding and engagement with the material.