Still professionally quite active, Ronald W. Langacker retired after 37 years as Professor of Linguistics at the University of California, San Diego. He was originally trained in generative linguistics, and worked for a decade on the Uto-Aztecan family of Native American languages. Since 1976 he has been developing the theory of Cognitive Grammar (a radical alternative to generative theory) as part of the broader tradition of cognitive linguistics.

This lucid and authoritative introduction to Cognitive Grammar presents the theory and its rationale in careful, systematic detail. Its application to central domains of language structure makes a compelling case that grammar is inherently meaningful. The book holds great interest for linguists, linguistics students, and professionals.