What it All Means: Companion Site

This page provides a collection of audiovisual examples intended to accompany the book What it All Means, by Philippe Schlenker (MIT Press 2022). Examples are listed as they are referenced in the text. Additional information about some online resources cited in the text appear at the end, followed by corrections and errata.


Chapter 1    Meaning in the Wild

AV1.10.1

Chapter 2    Visible Logic:  Sign Language and Pronouns 

AV2.3.1
AV2.4.1
AV2.6.1 (external link)

Chapter 4    Nouns and Verbs: Objects and Events

AV4.2.1
AV4.2.2
AV4.2.3
AV4.2.4
AV4.5.1 (external link)
AV4.5.2 (external link)
AV4.5.3 (external link)
AV4.5.4 (external link)
AV4.5.5 (external link)
AV4.5.6 (external link)

Chapter 5    Beyond the Here and Now I: From Objects to Situations

AV5.3.1

Examples of temporal expressions in Chinese Sign Language (referenced in Section 5.4; external link)

Chapter 10  Not Quite Saying It: Focus and Implicatures

AV10.1.1

Chapter 12  Iconicity Revisited: Sign with Iconicity vs. Speech with Gestures

AV12.3.1
AV12.3.2
AV12.3.3

Chapter 13  Grammar in Gestures

AV13.3.1
AV13.4.1
AV13.4.2
AV13.5.1

Chapter 14  Meaning in Gestures

AV14.6.1

Chapter 15  Meaning in Music

AV15.2.1
AV15.3.1
AV15.3.2
AV15.4.1
AV15.5.1
AV15.5.2
AV15.5.3
AV15.5.4
AV15.5.5
AV15.6.1
AV15.6.2
AV15.6.3
AV15.6.4
AV15.6.5
AV15.7.1
AV15.7.2
AV15.7.3
AV15.7.4
AV15.7.5
AV15.7.6
AV15.7.7
AV15.8.1
AV15.8.2
AV15.8.3
AV15.8.4
AV15.8.5
AV15.8.6
AV15.8.7
AV15.8.8
AV15.8.9
AV15.8.10
AV15.8.11
AV15.8.12 [Details about AV15.8.10, 11, 12]

AV15.10.1

AV15.10.2

AV15.10.3

AV15.10.4

AV15.10.5

AV15.10.6

AV15.10.7

AV15.10.8
AV15.11.1

Appendix Phonology, Morphology and Syntax in Speech and in Sign

AVApp.1 (external link)
AVApp.2 (external link)
AVApp.3 (external link)
AVApp.4 (external link)


Additional information about online resources cited in the text

Chapter 10, section 10.6, Krugman's tweet
Chapter 11, introduction, poll about Obama, see here for a quote.
Chapter 11, introduction, poll about Trump's impeachment proceedings, see here for a quote.


Presentations and reviews

CNRS's presentation of What it All Means

Marc van Oostendorp's review of What it All Means


Corrections and errata

Book jacket

Replace: Centre nationale de la recherche scientifique

with: Centre national de la recherche scientifique


p. 1 discretely -> discreetly

p. 13, 3rd paragraph:  it is certain that Russian influenced -> Russia influenced

p. 22, beginning of Section 1.8

Replace: In 1876, the Linguistic Society of Paris famously prohibited any further debates on language evolution because this topic

with: In 1866, the Linguistic Society of Paris famously prohibited any submissions on language origin; this topic 

p. 35, 2nd paragraph: 

realm phonology -> realm of phonology