Table Of ContentMeaning as Explanation
W
DE
G
Trends in Linguistics
Studies and Monographs 84
Editor
Werner Winter
Mouton de Gruyter
Berlin · New York
Meaning as Explanation
Advances in Linguistic Sign Theory
edited by
Ellen Contini-Morava
Barbara Sussman Goldberg
with the assistance of
Robert S. Kirsner
Mouton de Gruyter
Berlin · New York 1995
Mouton de Gruyter (formerly Mouton, The Hague)
is a Division of Walter de Gruyter & Co., Berlin.
© Printed on acid-free paper which falls within the guidelines
of the ANSI to ensure permanence and durability.
Library of Congress Calaloging-in-Publication-Data
Meaning as explanation : advances in linguistic sign theory /
edited by Ellen Contini-Morava, Barbara Sussman
Goldberg.
p. cm. — (Trends in linguistics. Studies and mono-
graphs ; 84).
Chiefly papers presented at the 2nd International Col-
umbia School Conference on Linguistics, which was held at
the University of Virginia in 1991.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 3-11-014122-1 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Linguistics analysis (Linguistics)—Congresses. 2.
Semiotics—Congresses. 3. Functionalism (Linguistics)—
Congresses. I. Contini-Morava, Ellen, 1948- . II. Suss-
man Goldberg, Barbara, 1942- . III. International Col-
umbia School Conference on Linguistics (2nd : 1991 : Uni-
versity of Virginia). IV. Series.
P126.M38 1995
401'.41-dc20 95-38309
CIP
Die Deutsche Bibliothek — Cataloging-in-Publication-Data
Meaning as explanation / [2nd International Columbia School
Conference on Linguistics]. Ed. by Ellen Contini-Morava ; Bar-
bara Sussman Goldberg. - Berlin ; New York : Mouton de
Gruyter, 1995
(Trends in linguistics : Studies and monographs ; 84)
ISBN 3-11-014122-1
NE: Contini-Morava, Ellen [Hrsg.]; International Columbia
School Conference on Linguistics <2, 1991, Virginia >;
Trends in linguistics / Studies and monographs
© Copyright 1995 by Walter de Gruyter & Co., D-10785 Berlin
All rights reserved, including those of translation into foreign languages. No part of this
book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mecha-
nical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, with-
out permission in writing from the publisher.
Typesetting and printing: Arthur Collignon GmbH, Berlin.
Binding: Lüderitz & Bauer, Berlin.
Printed in Germany.
This volume is dedicated,
with deep affection and respect,
to the memory of our teacher
William Diver,
1921-1995.
Nil non mortale tenemus
Pectoris exceptis ingeniique bonis.
(Publius Ovidius Naso)
Preface
Most of the papers collected in this volume were originally presented at
the Second International Columbia School Conference on Linguistics,
held at the University of Virginia in 1991. An important goal of this
conference was to bring together exponents of the major schools of lin-
guistics that treat language as a system of meaningful signs, in order to
explore areas of agreement and disagreement in background assump-
tions, theory, and methodology. During the conference it became clear
that there was an urgent need for a volume representing both the com-
mon ground and the diversity among sign oriented linguistic theories.
The conference organizers therefore encouraged the participants to sub-
mit their papers for publication, and undertook to edit the volume; we
also solicited some papers that had not been originally presented there.
Robert S. Kirsner of the Department of Germanic Languages and Litera-
tures of UCLA kindly agreed to help in the process of refereeing the
manuscripts that were originally submitted to the volume, and the editors
gratefully acknowledge his valuable assistance. We would also like to
thank the conference participants for their stimulating discussions both
at the conference and afterwards, and for their cooperation and patience
in the editorial process. A complete list of contributors is included after
the contents.
A number of Departments and Programs at the University of Virginia
helped make the conference possible, for which we are very grateful: the
Program in Linguistics, the Departments of Anthropology, Philosophy,
Psychology, Slavic Languages and Literatures, Spanish, Italian, and Por-
tuguese; the East Asian Language and Area Center; the Center for Rus-
sian and East European Studies; the Center for Advanced Studies; the
Special Lectures Committee. For assistance with the editorial expenses of
this volume we thank the University of Virginia School of Arts and Sci-
ences. Finally, our thanks to the editorial staff and readers of Mouton de
Gruyter for a satisfying and rewarding working relationship.
Contents
Preface vii
Contents ix
List of contributors xi
Introduction: On linguistic sign theory
Ellen Contini-Morava 1
Part I Issues of theory and methodology
Theory
William Diver 43
Quantitative analysis in Columbia School theory
WallisReid 115
Meaning, data, and testing hypotheses
Walter Hirtle 153
Remarks on sign-oriented approaches to language analysis
Jadranka Gvozdanovic 169
The purpose of a grammatical analysis
Alan Huffman 185
When contact speakers talk, linguistic theory listens
Ricardo Otheguy 213
Part II Deixis
Deixis from a cognitive point of view
Theo A. J. M. Janssen 245
