This book explores possible and impossible word meanings, with a specific focus on the meanings of verbs.

... definition by this procedure would conclude with a figure of speech rather ... verbalistic tradition , or gone behind the figures , to see what it was that ... definition . First , the traditional dic- tionary or verbal ...

With examples from a variety of contexts, this book provides a linguistic analysis of the role of silence in language.

... defined, i.e. in order to give an operative (and not an empty verbalistic) definition, it is necessary to indicate a procedure, albeit idealised but not distorted, an (effective or conceptual) experiment for its measurement. (p. 212) ...