Proceedings of Sinn und Bedeutung
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Grading Modality: A New Approach to Modal Concord and its Relatives
Get PDFThis paper addresses modal matching configurations, i.e. constructions where two modal elements co-occur in a sentence but modal force is only expressed once. It shows that the co-occurring elements only need to match in logical strength (e.g. necessity combines with impossibility) and do not have to match in modal force. It argues that previous approaches to modal matching (specifically: to modal concord), such as Geurts & Huitink (2006) and Zeijlstra (2008), cannot account for such matching in strength. A new approach to modal matching is presented, which treats it as degree modification over gradable modals, solving this puzzle: The matching requirement is argued to be a polarity presupposition on the modal degree modifier. The paper concludes by extending the analysis to the German particles ruhig, bloß and JA (see Grosz to appear)
A Scope Theory of Non-presuppositional Noun Phrases
Get PDFMusan (1995) observed that the temporal interpretation of a non-presuppositional noun phrase is obligatorily dependent on that of the main predicate. To account for this generalization, this paper proposes that the temporal interpretation of a non-presuppositional noun phrase is determined by virtue of being in the scope of an operator. Upon an investigation of the interpretation of non-presuppositional noun phrases in the plural form, the paper argues under this scope approach that the numeral part of a non-presuppositional noun phrase splits from the rest of the noun phrase and undergoes LF raising.
Vagueness in Degree Constructions
Get PDFThis paper presents a novel semantic analysis of unit names and gradable adjectives, inspired by measurement theory (Krantz et al 1971). Based on measurement theory\u27s typology of measures, I claim that different predicates are associated with different types of measures whose special characteristics, together with features of the relations denoted by unit names, explain the puzzling limited distribution of measure phrases
On the Role of Past Tense in Resolving Similarity in Counterfactuals
Get PDFIn this paper I investigate the semantics of counterfactual conditionals. I propose a generalized de re analysis according to which counterfactuals are predicated de re of situations in the actual world. I compare the resulting local view of similarity with the global view found in Lewis-Stalnaker style proposals, presenting arguments in favor of the former. In the de re analysis, past tense identifies the actual world situation the counterfactual is about
Different Alternatives for Topics and Foci: Evidence from Indefinites and Multiple wh*
Get PDFIn gapping, topical indefinites as well as wh-phrases can contrast with surface-identical antecedents if the contrast involved is the first of the two (or more) contrast pairs in the gapping coordination. This is not possible for most other types of expressions. We argue that both topical indefinites and wh-phrases introduce a discourse referent with a fixed address, on the basis of which referents introduced by surface-identical expressions can be contrasted. For the indefinites, we argue that the first contrast pair is a pair of contrastive topics which can, at the same time, be a pair of aboutness topics. These introduce individual addresses (Reinhart 1981). For wh-phrases we follow the assumption that they introduce discourse referents by presupposition. Multiple wh-interrogatives then introduce functions by presupposition whose domain is provided by the first wh-phrase. The function is specified by giving its extension, i.e. the respective pair-list
Shifting perspectives in pictorial narratives
Get PDFWe propose an extension of DRT for analyzing pictorial narratives. We test drive our PicDRT framework by analyzing the way authors represent characters’ mental states and perception in comics. Our investigation goes beyond Abusch and Rooth (2017) in handling not just free perception sequences, but also a form of apparent perspective blending somewhat reminiscent of free indirect discourse
Spelling out QR
Get PDFRight-Node Raising has been recently shown to license an exceptional pattern of QR. We provide a framework in which locality is determined through the interaction of complete dominance and spellout, and in which the pattern of QR in Right-Node Raising is predicted
Putting path in place
Get PDFThe paper discusses circumstances under which locative prepositional phrases (PPs) can act as a constituting part of a directed motion event. It will be shown that there is a division of labour among different elements in a sentence to express the Path of a directed motion event and this labour can be distributed in various ways not only among different languages, as discussed in Talmy (1985) and subsequent work, but also among different constructions that are not always associated with particular types of verbs or particular types of Ps