Blackwell Reference Online

The Handbook of Pragmatics is a collection of original articles that outline the central themes and challenges for current research in the field of linguistic pragmatics. The 32 articles, written by leading scholars, provide an authoritative and accessible introduction to the field, including an overview of the foundations of pragmatic theory and a detailed examination of the rich and varied theoretical and empircal subdomains of pragmatics.

This Handbook is a valuable resource for both students and professional researchers investigating the properties of meaning, reference, and context in natural language. It will be of particular interest to those exploring the interfaces of pragmatics with syntax, semantics, lexicon, philosophy of language, information theory, and cognitive psychology. The extensive bibliography serves as a self-contained research tool for those working in the general area of pragmatics and allied fields in linguistics, philosophy, and cognitive science.