Meaning
We are interested in a range of topics relating to meaning, including semantic and pragmatic theory, the semantics-pragmatics interface, information structure, intonational meaning, game-theoretical approaches to pragmatics and their empirical verification, quantification, comparatives, events, number, focus, modality, reference, anaphora, and conditionals. We use a variety of methodologies including:
- experimental semantics and pragmatics
- formal semantics and pragmatics, logic, philosophy of language
- language acquisition
- psycholinguistics
- computational methods for extracting semantic information from text
- cross-linguistic comparison
Lab spaces and resources include:
- Eye tracking lab in Swift 009B (run by Masaya Yoshida)
- Self-paced reading lab in Swift 009A (run by Masaya Yoshida)
- Sound-treated booths in Swift 007 (run by Masaya Yoshida)
- Corpora available in Cresap 101
Gregory Ward's research interests situate themselves along the pragmatics-semantics frontier: identifying and distinguishing between those aspects of meaning that are a function of the linguistic system (semantics) and those that are a function of the use of that system in context (pragmatics). He is the faculty advisor to the Truth Conditional Project, an empirical investigation of the impact that various types of conversational implicature have on the assignment of truth conditions. His other research interests include pragmatic theory, information structure (especially word order variation), intonational meaning, and reference.
- Learn more about Meaning at Northwestern