💎The Neuroscience of Word Meaning

Words are among the basic building blocks of language, allowing us to share
a tremendous range of ideas. This book summarizes research on how words are
represented, organized, and processed in our brain, offering a fascinating
window into the neural basis of language. It begins with a foundational over-
view of linguistics and neuroscience, including neurons, networks, and func-
tional areas. It then delves into key topics and theories. It explores such
questions as: How do the meanings of words for objects and events relate to
the brain regions involved in perception and action? Are different semantic
categories of words, like those for animals and tools, segregated in the brain?
What are the neural substrates of abstract words? The book describes how
different theories answer these questions, and how numerous experiments help
adjudicate between them. It also includes learning objectives, chapter summar-
ies, and over 60 figures.
David Kemmerer has been a professor at Purdue University since 2000. He
explores the complex relationships between semantics, grammar, perception,
and action, often combining neuroscientific and crosslinguistic perspectives.
He is the author of Concepts in the Brain (2009) and Cognitive Neuroscience of
Language (2nd ed., 2022)