Podcast episode 56: Nick Enfield on linguistic signs and concepts

In this interview, we talk to Nick Enfield about his research into the connections between linguistic signs and concepts.

Nick Enfield quote: "Word meanings are not just concepts, but concepts made public."

Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube

Intro and outro: Von Wegen Lisbeth, “Podcast

Image from Nick Enfield’s website

References for Episode 56

Dunbar, R. I. M. (2004). “Gossip in Evolutionary Perspective”, Review of General Psychology, 8(2): 100-110. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1037/1089-2680.8.2.100

Enfield, Nick J. (2022), “Linguistic concepts are self-generating choice architectures”, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 378: 20210352. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2021.0352

Enfield, N. J. (2026). “The enchronic envelope”, Psychological Review, 133(2): 296–314.  https://doi.org/10.1037/rev0000553

Kockelman, Paul. (2005). “The semiotic stance”, Semiotica, vol. 2005(157): 233-304. https://doi.org/10.1515/semi.2005.2005.157.1-4.233

Langacker, Ronald W. (1987), Foundations of Cognitive Grammar, 2 vols. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Makkreel, Rudolf (2021), “Wilhelm Dilthey”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2021 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2021/entries/dilthey/

Ogden, Charles Kay, and Ivor Armstrong Richards (1956 [1923]), The Meaning of Meaning, London: Kegan Paul.

Tomasello, Michael. 2008. Origins of Human Communication. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/7551.001.0001

Posted in Podcast
2 comments on “Podcast episode 56: Nick Enfield on linguistic signs and concepts
  1. bnerlich's avatar bnerlich says:

    Really nice!! In a way it’s Wegener all the way down 😉

  2. Penny's avatar Penny says:

    Definitely looking forward to reading this book when it comes out. Thank you Nick and James.

Leave a comment

Upcoming events


2-4 September 2026
Nottingham (UK)
Henry Sweet Society Colloquium 2026
(Non-)Native Speakers in the History of Linguistic Ideas


10-11 September 2026
Fribourg (Switzerland)
The Prague Linguistic Circle in Geneva and Paris: Circulations and Decenterings


16–18 September 2026
Rome (Italy)
Studienkreis Geschichte der Sprachwissenschaft
Universality and Universals in the History of Linguistics


19-21 November 2026
Sofia (Bulgaria)
La linguistique ‘fonctionnelle’ cent ans après la fondation du Cercle linguistique de Prague


28-29 January 2027
Paris (France)
SHESL Conference 2027
History of terminology – Diachronic terminology The emergence of a terminological conscienceness


31 March–3 April 2027
Vigo (Spain), Vila Real (Portugal)
13th International Conference on Missionary Linguistics


23-27 August 2027
Niterói, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
ICHoLS XVII