Download or read book The Utility of Meaning written by N. J. Enfield and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2015 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book argues that the complex, anthropocentric, and often culture-specific meanings of words have been shaped directly by their history of 'utility' for communication in social life, and explores relations between language, communication, culture, and mind. It contains extensive data from the author's fieldwork on language and culture in Laos.