Table of contents
Prefacev
Part I The Hebrew tradition1
1. Introduction3
2. Terminology4
3. Intra-Biblical tradition6
4. Rabbinic exegetical tradition8
5. Language and exegesis in the medieval Jewish tradition17
5.1 Saadiah Gaon17
5.2 Translation technique21
5.3 The way towards pěšāṭ23
5.4 Meaning in Hebrew grammar and lexicography24
6. The logical and philosophical tradition of medieval Judaism28
6.1 Moses Maimonides28
6.2 The influence of Maimonides35
7. Conclusion39
8. Suggestions for further reading40
9. Bibliographical references41
Part II The Sanskrit tradition49
1. Introduction51
2. Terminology56
3. Awareness of language and meaning in early Vedic texts and ancillary disciplines61
3.1 The Vedic hymns61
3.2 The Brāhmaṇas and ancillary disciplines64
4. Nirukta: “etymology” or “explanation of word meaning through derivation”71
5. The exegetic guidelines of early Mīmāṁsā74
6. Grammar and semantics in the early Pāṇinian tradition84
6.1 The role of meanings and semantics in Pāṇini's grammar84
6.2 Early commentators on Pāṇini's Aṣṭādhyāyī: Kātyāyana and Patañjali92
7. Logic, ontology and semantics in Nyāya and Vaiśeṣika98
7.1 The Vaiśeṣika-system98
7.2 The Nyāya-system
8. Challenging the Brahminical tradition: Buddhists and Jainas103
8.1 The Jainas103
8.2 The Buddhists105
9. Bhartṛhari's discussion of linguistic and semantic theories: major issues and parameters110
9.1 The first book of the Vākyapadīya: Introductory matter and the relation between sound, signifier and meaning112
9.2 The second book of the Vākyapadīya: On the primary unit in language115
9.3 The third book of the Vākyapadīya: Philosophical and semantic investigations of grammatical categories pertaining to the words in the sentence120
10. Developments after the Vākyapadīya: apoha “exclusion”, poetics, theories of śābda-bodha “understanding from language”123
11. Conclusion131
12. Suggestions for further reading134
13. Bibliographical references137
Part III The Greek tradition147
1. Introduction149
2. Terminology151
3. Folk linguistics, etymology, magic: The meaning of names155
4. Pre-Alexandrian exegesis (6th–4th centuries <sc>BCE</sc>)163
5. The intellectuals’ debate in the 6th and 5th centuries BCE of language, truth, knowledge and reality168
6. Plato: The limits of language177
7. Aristotle: The function of language188
8. The Hellenistic period: Philosophy and philology200
9. Apollonius Dyscolus: The role of semantics in syntactic theory206
10. Augustine: Semantics and theology210
11. Semantics and translation213
12. Conclusion216
13. Suggestions for further reading218
14. Bibliographical references220
Part IV The Arabic tradition225
1. Introduction227
2. From speaker to text: The exegetical tradition233
3. From text to language: Sībawayhi239
4. The role of semantics in Arabic linguistic theory244
5. The relationship between logic and grammar251
6. The relationship between rhetoric and grammar259
7. Towards a theory of signification266
8. Conclusion274
9. Suggestions for further reading277
10. Bibliographical references279
Meaning in four linguistic traditions: a comparison285
1. Introduction285
2. From exegesis to semantics286
3. The role of canonical texts287
4. Beginnings of linguistic thought within canonical texts: etymology289
5. Exegesis290
6. Beginnings of semantic theory: influence from other disciplines—distinction of sound and meaning293
7. The locus of meaning294
8. Incongruity between form and meaning295
9. The nature and origin of language295
10. Contacts between languages: translations296
11. An area of disagreement: The status of exegesis298
Chronological Table302
Index of names305
Index of subjects311
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