that we will discuss more in chapter 2 (see “Semantics”). For now we can say that meaning encompasses more than words, though it very often does include words. Words have particular sounds and grammatical shapes, and they are arranged in certain orders and then fit into larger contexts. But meaning also involves the people engaged in communication. They have particular roles and motives, and they speak within the contexts of relationships and situations. Words, situations, gestures, intonation—all