Multidimensional Semantics of Evaluative Adverbs
Published on 21. November 2012
Book
Hardback
228 pages
978-1-78190-271-4 (ISBN)
Description
Multidimensional Semantics of Evaluative Adverbs provides a multidimensional analysis for the lexical semantics of evaluative adverbs: nonfactive evaluative adverbs trigger a conventional implicature, whereas factive evaluative adverbs not only trigger a conventional implicature but also a conventional presupposition. This analysis proves to be more advantageous than existing analysis in terms of empirical coverage and explanatory power.
With the case of evaluative adverbs, the book demonstrates how secondary meanings (e.g. conventional presuppositions, conventional implicatures) interact with primary meanings (i.e. main assertion, or at-issue content). For the first time, a three-dimensional formal language of conventional implicatures and conventional presuppositions is implemented and applied to derive the right truth conditions of sentences with evaluative adverbs and predict their projection behaviors. With a cross-linguistic perspective (focusing on German, English and Mandarin Chinese) and using corpus- and psycholinguistic methods, the book also offers new perspectives on the syntax/semantics/pragmatics of adverbials.
With the case of evaluative adverbs, the book demonstrates how secondary meanings (e.g. conventional presuppositions, conventional implicatures) interact with primary meanings (i.e. main assertion, or at-issue content). For the first time, a three-dimensional formal language of conventional implicatures and conventional presuppositions is implemented and applied to derive the right truth conditions of sentences with evaluative adverbs and predict their projection behaviors. With a cross-linguistic perspective (focusing on German, English and Mandarin Chinese) and using corpus- and psycholinguistic methods, the book also offers new perspectives on the syntax/semantics/pragmatics of adverbials.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Amsterdam
Netherlands
Publishing group
Brill
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 241 mm
Width: 159 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
531 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78190-271-4 (9781781902714)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Content
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Notation conventions
1 Introduction
2 Evaluative Adverbs, Conventional Presuppositions and Conventional Implicatures
2.1 Introduction
2.2 EADVs and CIs
2.2.1 A Non-truth-conditional Approach and its Problems
2.2.2 Semantic Duality and Assertoric Asymmetry
2.2.3 A Two-dimensional Approach and its Problems
2.3 EADVs and CPs
2.3.1 The Undefinedness of At-issue Contents
2.3.2 The Undefinedness of CIs
2.4 The Projection Problem of EADVs
2.4.1 The Embeddability of EADVs
2.4.2 The Projection of EADVs in Conditionals
2.4.3 Supplements that do not Project
2.5 Summary of the Chapter
3 A Logic for Conventional Presuppositions and Conventional Implicatures
3.1 The Dimensions of CPs and CIs
3.2 LCI (Potts, 2005)
3.3 LCP/CI
4 The Positive Polarity of EADVs
4.1 Introduction
4.2 The Distribution of EADVs
4.2.1 EADVs and Negation
4.2.2 EADVs and Modals
4.2.3 EADVs and Questions
4.2.4 EADVs and Conditionals
4.2.5 EADVs and Other contexts
4.3 A Polarity Approach to EADVs
4.3.1 Negative Polarity Items
4.3.2 Positive Polarity Items
4.3.3 EADVs as PPIs: Experimental Evidence
4.3.4 Non-veridicality Account
4.4 A Projection Approach to EADVs
4.4.1 EADVs in LCP/CI
4.4.2 EADV Ordering
4.5 Summary of the Chapter
5 The Subjective Meaning of EADVs
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Predicates of Personal Taste (PPTs)
5.2.1 Two Kinds of Vagueness
5.2.2 Previous Analyses
5.2.3 Kinds of (Dis)agreement
5.3 EADVs
5.3.1 Three Kinds of Vagueness
5.3.2 Analysis
5.3.3 Embedded EADVs
5.3.4 Quantified Judges
5.4 Summary of the Chapter
6 Conclusion, Problems and Outlook
References
Appendix
Abbreviations
Notation conventions
1 Introduction
2 Evaluative Adverbs, Conventional Presuppositions and Conventional Implicatures
2.1 Introduction
2.2 EADVs and CIs
2.2.1 A Non-truth-conditional Approach and its Problems
2.2.2 Semantic Duality and Assertoric Asymmetry
2.2.3 A Two-dimensional Approach and its Problems
2.3 EADVs and CPs
2.3.1 The Undefinedness of At-issue Contents
2.3.2 The Undefinedness of CIs
2.4 The Projection Problem of EADVs
2.4.1 The Embeddability of EADVs
2.4.2 The Projection of EADVs in Conditionals
2.4.3 Supplements that do not Project
2.5 Summary of the Chapter
3 A Logic for Conventional Presuppositions and Conventional Implicatures
3.1 The Dimensions of CPs and CIs
3.2 LCI (Potts, 2005)
3.3 LCP/CI
4 The Positive Polarity of EADVs
4.1 Introduction
4.2 The Distribution of EADVs
4.2.1 EADVs and Negation
4.2.2 EADVs and Modals
4.2.3 EADVs and Questions
4.2.4 EADVs and Conditionals
4.2.5 EADVs and Other contexts
4.3 A Polarity Approach to EADVs
4.3.1 Negative Polarity Items
4.3.2 Positive Polarity Items
4.3.3 EADVs as PPIs: Experimental Evidence
4.3.4 Non-veridicality Account
4.4 A Projection Approach to EADVs
4.4.1 EADVs in LCP/CI
4.4.2 EADV Ordering
4.5 Summary of the Chapter
5 The Subjective Meaning of EADVs
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Predicates of Personal Taste (PPTs)
5.2.1 Two Kinds of Vagueness
5.2.2 Previous Analyses
5.2.3 Kinds of (Dis)agreement
5.3 EADVs
5.3.1 Three Kinds of Vagueness
5.3.2 Analysis
5.3.3 Embedded EADVs
5.3.4 Quantified Judges
5.4 Summary of the Chapter
6 Conclusion, Problems and Outlook
References
Appendix