Sorting the World
On the Relevance of the Kind/Object-Distinction to Referential Semantics
1st Edition
Published on 2. May 2013
165 pages
978-3-11-032358-0 (ISBN)
Description
The basic hypothesis of this book is that linguistic reference to kinds should be seen as reference to sortal concepts, i.e. cognitive categories for identifying and classifying objects. Viewed that way, kinds serve as the interface between the conceptual system and the grammatical system. Kind-level predicates differ as to whether they presuppose (e.g. to be extinct) or entail (e.g. to invent) the existence of objects, with crucial consequences for the interpretation of indefinite argument noun phrases. Moreover, object reference always involves underlying kind reference, but kind reference does not always involve object reference. This asymmetry, once recognized, proves useful in solving otherwise puzzling problems in semantic composition.
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Olav Mueller-Reichau
Sorting the World
On the Relevance of the Kind/Object-Distinction to Referential Semantics
Book
06/2011
1st Edition
De Gruyter
€139.95
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Content
1 - Chapter 1 Genericity - the standard view [Seite 9]
2 - 1.1 Rules and their truth conditions [Seite 9]
3 - 1.2 The standard theory of genericity [Seite 12]
4 - 1.3 Predicate genericity [Seite 14]
5 - 1.4 Nominal genericity I: the standard theoretical point of view [Seite 18]
6 - 1.5 Nominal genericity II: the two-way distinction approach [Seite 21]
7 - Chapter 2 Kinds as sortal concepts - from a cognitive perspective [Seite 25]
8 - 2.1 Overview [Seite 25]
9 - 2.2 Things in the world [Seite 25]
10 - 2.3 Categorisation and individuation [Seite 27]
11 - 2.4 The development of kind-based object individuation [Seite 29]
12 - 2.5 Linguistic input as trigger? [Seite 34]
13 - 2.6 Speculating about developmental stages [Seite 36]
14 - 2.7 Conclusions I: kinds as sortal concepts [Seite 38]
15 - 2.8 Conclusions II: what does it mean for a kind to exist? [Seite 40]
16 - Chapter 3 Kinds as ontological primitives - from a semantic perspective [Seite 43]
17 - 3.1 Overview [Seite 43]
18 - 3.2 Object reference and kind reference [Seite 44]
19 - 3.3 Kinds as taxonomic categories [Seite 47]
20 - 3.4 Kinds and concepts [Seite 49]
21 - 3.5 Kinds and properties [Seite 51]
22 - 3.6 Chierchia's (1998) notion of kind [Seite 54]
23 - 3.7 Lexical and formal semantics [Seite 57]
24 - Chapter 4 Spatiotemporal localisation - type-token theories of genericity [Seite 61]
25 - 4.1 Overview [Seite 61]
26 - 4.2 Three-class systems [Seite 62]
27 - 4.3 Two-class systems [Seite 66]
28 - 4.4 On the sense of the term "referential" [Seite 70]
29 - 4.5 Conclusions [Seite 71]
30 - Chapter 5 Indefinite reference to kinds - the pumpkin crusher puzzle [Seite 73]
31 - 5.1 Overview [Seite 73]
32 - 5.2 Reference to subkinds and the pumpkin crusher [Seite 73]
33 - 5.3 Indefinite NPs in Carlsonian object-level predications [Seite 76]
34 - 5.4 Indefinite NPs in Carlsonian kind-level predications [Seite 78]
35 - 5.5 Two kinds of kind-level predicates [Seite 80]
36 - 5.6 To invent versus to be extinct [Seite 82]
37 - 5.7 How the taxonomic reading comes about [Seite 84]
38 - 5.8 Well-establishedness [Seite 88]
39 - 5.9 Conclusions [Seite 89]
40 - Chapter 6 Lexical classes of predicates - normal and Carlsonian kind-level predicates [Seite 91]
41 - 6.1 Overview [Seite 91]
42 - 6.2 Predicate classes according to the standard theory [Seite 92]
43 - 6.3 Outlining the alternative [Seite 94]
44 - 6.4 The representative object interpretation [Seite 95]
45 - 6.5 Categorising statements as representative object interpretations [Seite 99]
46 - 6.6 No reference to objects without reference to kinds [Seite 103]
47 - 6.7 Carlsonian stage-level predicates [Seite 107]
48 - 6.8 Conceptual restrictions on spatiotemporal localisation [Seite 110]
49 - 6.9 What is special about Carlsonian kind-level predicates [Seite 112]
50 - 6.10 Carlsonian kind-level predicates as existence predicates [Seite 115]
51 - 6.11 Conclusions [Seite 117]
52 - Chapter 7 Overt and covert articles - a kind-based DRT approach to the semantics of noun phrases [Seite 121]
53 - 7.1 Overview [Seite 121]
54 - 7.2 The grammatical role of overt articles [Seite 122]
55 - 7.3 Forming complex predicates [Seite 127]
56 - 7.4 Internal and external modification [Seite 129]
57 - 7.5 Attributive adjectives [Seite 133]
58 - 7.6 On the semantic function of NPs [Seite 136]
59 - 7.7 The grammatical null article [Seite 138]
60 - 7.8 The requirement of earliest application [Seite 140]
61 - 7.9 Existentially interpreted bare plural NPs [Seite 144]
62 - 7.10 The semantic contribution of a token-restricting modifier [Seite 147]
63 - 7.11 Chierchia's and Krifka's explanations [Seite 150]
64 - 7.12 Object-level arguments in kind-level positions [Seite 153]
65 - 7.13 Conclusions [Seite 159]
2 - 1.1 Rules and their truth conditions [Seite 9]
3 - 1.2 The standard theory of genericity [Seite 12]
4 - 1.3 Predicate genericity [Seite 14]
5 - 1.4 Nominal genericity I: the standard theoretical point of view [Seite 18]
6 - 1.5 Nominal genericity II: the two-way distinction approach [Seite 21]
7 - Chapter 2 Kinds as sortal concepts - from a cognitive perspective [Seite 25]
8 - 2.1 Overview [Seite 25]
9 - 2.2 Things in the world [Seite 25]
10 - 2.3 Categorisation and individuation [Seite 27]
11 - 2.4 The development of kind-based object individuation [Seite 29]
12 - 2.5 Linguistic input as trigger? [Seite 34]
13 - 2.6 Speculating about developmental stages [Seite 36]
14 - 2.7 Conclusions I: kinds as sortal concepts [Seite 38]
15 - 2.8 Conclusions II: what does it mean for a kind to exist? [Seite 40]
16 - Chapter 3 Kinds as ontological primitives - from a semantic perspective [Seite 43]
17 - 3.1 Overview [Seite 43]
18 - 3.2 Object reference and kind reference [Seite 44]
19 - 3.3 Kinds as taxonomic categories [Seite 47]
20 - 3.4 Kinds and concepts [Seite 49]
21 - 3.5 Kinds and properties [Seite 51]
22 - 3.6 Chierchia's (1998) notion of kind [Seite 54]
23 - 3.7 Lexical and formal semantics [Seite 57]
24 - Chapter 4 Spatiotemporal localisation - type-token theories of genericity [Seite 61]
25 - 4.1 Overview [Seite 61]
26 - 4.2 Three-class systems [Seite 62]
27 - 4.3 Two-class systems [Seite 66]
28 - 4.4 On the sense of the term "referential" [Seite 70]
29 - 4.5 Conclusions [Seite 71]
30 - Chapter 5 Indefinite reference to kinds - the pumpkin crusher puzzle [Seite 73]
31 - 5.1 Overview [Seite 73]
32 - 5.2 Reference to subkinds and the pumpkin crusher [Seite 73]
33 - 5.3 Indefinite NPs in Carlsonian object-level predications [Seite 76]
34 - 5.4 Indefinite NPs in Carlsonian kind-level predications [Seite 78]
35 - 5.5 Two kinds of kind-level predicates [Seite 80]
36 - 5.6 To invent versus to be extinct [Seite 82]
37 - 5.7 How the taxonomic reading comes about [Seite 84]
38 - 5.8 Well-establishedness [Seite 88]
39 - 5.9 Conclusions [Seite 89]
40 - Chapter 6 Lexical classes of predicates - normal and Carlsonian kind-level predicates [Seite 91]
41 - 6.1 Overview [Seite 91]
42 - 6.2 Predicate classes according to the standard theory [Seite 92]
43 - 6.3 Outlining the alternative [Seite 94]
44 - 6.4 The representative object interpretation [Seite 95]
45 - 6.5 Categorising statements as representative object interpretations [Seite 99]
46 - 6.6 No reference to objects without reference to kinds [Seite 103]
47 - 6.7 Carlsonian stage-level predicates [Seite 107]
48 - 6.8 Conceptual restrictions on spatiotemporal localisation [Seite 110]
49 - 6.9 What is special about Carlsonian kind-level predicates [Seite 112]
50 - 6.10 Carlsonian kind-level predicates as existence predicates [Seite 115]
51 - 6.11 Conclusions [Seite 117]
52 - Chapter 7 Overt and covert articles - a kind-based DRT approach to the semantics of noun phrases [Seite 121]
53 - 7.1 Overview [Seite 121]
54 - 7.2 The grammatical role of overt articles [Seite 122]
55 - 7.3 Forming complex predicates [Seite 127]
56 - 7.4 Internal and external modification [Seite 129]
57 - 7.5 Attributive adjectives [Seite 133]
58 - 7.6 On the semantic function of NPs [Seite 136]
59 - 7.7 The grammatical null article [Seite 138]
60 - 7.8 The requirement of earliest application [Seite 140]
61 - 7.9 Existentially interpreted bare plural NPs [Seite 144]
62 - 7.10 The semantic contribution of a token-restricting modifier [Seite 147]
63 - 7.11 Chierchia's and Krifka's explanations [Seite 150]
64 - 7.12 Object-level arguments in kind-level positions [Seite 153]
65 - 7.13 Conclusions [Seite 159]
