Research interests: Lexical Semantics, pragmatics and discourse analysis; Scottish Gaelic grammar; history of linguistics ideas with particular reference to the 17th century; theory of translation.

Dr Cram's research involves a number of interlinked areas in linguistic theory, the theory of translation and the history of linguistics. He is particularly interested in modern pragmatic theory—the analysis of meaning in context—and has recently been exploring the application of pragmatics to musical meaning. The bulk of his research is on the history of ideas about language, with special reference to the 17th century. He has published extensively on 17th-century schemes to construct a philosophical language, and is currently principal investigator of research project producing editions of the treatises on grammar, logic and music by the mathematician John Wallis.