Bare arguments Semantic Structures ‘10
Dec 21, 2015
3
Overview
•BP is not the plural counterpart of a•is not an indefinite
•the generic and the existential reading of BPs are two sides of the same coin
•how to connect the sides of the coin?
4
Overview
•BP is not the plural counterpart of a•is not an indefinite
•the generic and the existential reading of BPs are two sides of the same coin
•how to connect the sides of the coin?
5
The BP: a weird thing
Minnie wishes to talk to a young psychiatrist.
Minnie’s wish is to talk to a psychiatrist.
There is a young psychiatrist such that it is Minnie’s wish to talk to him.
ok
ok
OPACITY PHENOMENA
6
The BP: a weird thing
Minnie wishes to talk to psychiatrists.
Minnie’s wish is to talk to a psychiatrists.
There are psychiatrists such that it is Minnie’s wish to talk to them.
ok
#
OPACITY PHENOMENA
7
The BP: a weird thing
Minnie wishes to talk to a few psychiatrists.
Minnie’s wish is to talk to a few psychiatrists.
There are a few psychiatrists such that it is Minnie’s wish to talk to them.
ok
OPACITY PHENOMENA
ok
8
The BP: a weird thing
opacity phenomena = scope with respect to intensional verbs (such as believe verbs)
whereas bare plurals can only take scope below the intensional verb, regular indefinites can take scope below and above it
OPACITY PHENOMENA
9
The BP: a weird thing
Everyone read a book on caterpillars.
For everyone there is a book on caterpillars that is such that he/she read it.
There is a book on caterpillars such that everyone read it.
ok
ok
NARROW SCOPE
10
The BP: a weird thing
Everyone read books on caterpillars.
For everyone there are books on caterpillars that are such that he/she read them.
There are books on caterpillars such that everyone read them.
ok
#
NARROW SCOPE
11
The BP: a weird thing
Everyone read two books on caterpillars.
For everyone there are two books on caterpillars that is such that he/she read them.
There are two books on caterpillars such that everyone read them.
ok
ok
NARROW SCOPE
12
The BP: a weird thing
whereas bare plurals can only take scope below other operators, regular indefinites can take scope below and above them
NARROW SCOPE
13
The BP: a weird thing
A dog was everywhere.
The indefinite cannot scope below everywhere.
Only reading: There is a dog such that it was in all places (at the same time).
Not: In all places there was a dog (at the same time)
DIFFERENTIATED SCOPE
14
The BP: a weird thing
Dogs were everywhere.
The BP can scope below everywhere.
Only reading: In all places there were dogs.
Not: There are dogs such that they were in all places (at the same time)
DIFFERENTIATED SCOPE
15
The BP: a weird thing
A flag was hanging in front of every building.
There was a flag such that is was hanging in front of every building.
In front of every building there was a flag hanging.
DIFFERENTIATED SCOPE
ok
ok
16
The BP: a weird thing
According to Carlson BPs can sometimes take scope below operators indefinites cannot take scope under.
This might however be due to his choice of examples.
What does seem to hold is that bare plurals can only take narrow scope.
DIFFERENTIATED SCOPE
17
The BP: a weird thing
Harriet caught a rabbit yesterday, and Ozzie caught it today.
a rabbit and it have a different referent
a rabbit and it have the same referent
ANAPHORA
#
ok
18
The BP: a weird thing
Harriet caught rabbits yesterday, and Ozzie caught them today.
rabbits and them have a different referent
rabbits and them have the same referent
ANAPHORA
ok
ok
19
The BP: a weird thing
Max killed very few rabbits, but Hiram killed them in great abundance.
Ozzie bought a potato because they contain vitamin C.
ANAPHORA
20
The BP: a weird thing
According to Carlson BPs sometimes allow for anaphora indefinites don’t allow for.
This might however be due to his choice of pronoun.
(plurals can pick up both kinds and normal individuals whereas singulars cannot)
DIFFERENTIATED SCOPE
21
Overview
•BP is not the plural counterpart of a•is not an indefinite
•the generic and the existential reading of BPs are two sides of the same coin
•how to connect the sides of the coin?
hold
don’t clearly hold
22
Overview
•BP is not the plural counterpart of a•is not an indefinite
•the generic and the existential reading of BPs are two sides of the same coin
•how to connect the sides of the coin?
23
Bare plurals and kinds
“A unified analysis is not only desirable, but necessary, if we are to have a complete account of this construction.”
24
Bare plurals and kinds
Two sides of the same coin...
Argument #1: they are in complementary distribution
Children are playing in the garden.
Children are intelligent.
Why is this not a very strong argument?
25
Bare plurals and kinds
Two sides of the same coin...
Argument #2: unambiguously kind-referring DPs behave in the same way:
This kind of human being is playing in the garden.
This kind of human being is intelligent.
Why is this still not very strong?
26
Bare plurals and kinds
Strongest point:
Unambiguously kind-referring DPs behave scopally in the same way!
->If we assume that BPs are kind-referring we get the funny scope behaviour for free!
27
Bare plurals and kinds
Max believes this kind of animal to have eaten his pet sponge.
No specific instantiation of this kind of animal can be intended.
28
Bare plurals and kinds
Everyone saw this kind of animal.
A reading according to which there is a particular instantiation of this kind of animal that everyone saw is not available.
29
Overview
•BP is not the plural counterpart of a•is not an indefinite
•the generic and the existential reading of BPs are two sides of the same coin
•how to connect the sides of the coin?
case depends on scope-facts
30
Overview
•BP is not the plural counterpart of a•is not an indefinite
•the generic and the existential reading of BPs are two sides of the same coin
•how to connect the sides of the coin?
31
Kinds and their instantiations
Carlson doesn’t give an explicit semantics for the generic readings.
For the existential readings he proposes that there are predicates that select kinds and existentially quantify over their instantiations.
yx[R(x,y)&P(x)]
32
Kinds and their instantiations
yx[R(x,y)&P(x)]
To be hereyx[R(x,y)&Here(x)]Not to be hereyx[R(x,y)&Here(x)]Cats_kindyx[R(x,y)&Here(x)](Cats_kind)x[R(x,Cats_kind)&Here(x)]
35
Longobardi
Il mio Gianni ha finalmente telefonato.
the my John has finally calledMy Johnny finally called.
*Mio Gianni ha finalmente telefonato.
my John has finally calledMy Johnny has finally called.
ITALIAN PROPER NAMES
36
Longobardi
Il mio Gianni ha finalmente telefonato.
the my John has finally calledMy Johnny finally called.
*Mio Gianni ha finalmente telefonato.
my John has finally calledMy Johnny has finally called.
def + poss + name
poss + name
Proposal:
il occupies a position that...
... has to be filled
... cannot be filled by mio
... but can be filled by
moving Gianni to it
ITALIAN PROPER NAMES
37
Longobardi
Il mio Gianni ha finalmente telefonato.the my John has finally calledMy Johnny finally called.
*Mio Gianni ha finalmente telefonato.my John has finally calledMy Johnny has finally called.
Gianni mio ha finalmente telefonato.
Proposal:
il occupies a position that...
... has to be filled
... cannot be filled by mio
... but can be filled by
moving Gianni to it
ITALIAN PROPER NAMES
38
Longobardi
*The my Johnny ha finalmente telefonato. has finally calledMy Johnny finally called.
My Johnny ha finalmente telefonato. has finally calledMy Johnny has finally called.
*Johnny my ha finalmente telefonato.
Proposal:
the occupies a position that...
... hasn’t got to be filled
... and therefore shouldn’t be
filled
... consequently the moving of
Johnny to it is not allowed
ENGLISH PROPER NAMES
39
Longobardi
Proposal:
il occupies a position that...
... has to be filled
... cannot be filled by mio
... but can be filled by
moving Gianni to it
ITALIAN VS. ENGLISH PNs
Proposal:
the occupies a position that...
... hasn’t got to be filled
... and therefore shouldn’t be
filled
... consequently the moving of
Johnny to it is not allowed
ITALIAN ENGLISH
parameter distinguishing between Italian and English type languages
40
Longobardi
*The big dogs bark.the big dogs barkBig dogs bark.
Big dogs bark.big dogs barkBig dogs bark.
*Dogs big bark.dogs big barkBig dogs bark.
ENGLISH COMMON NOUNS
Proposal:
the occupies a position that...
... hasn’t got to be filled
... and therefore shouldn’t be
filled
... consequently the moving of
dogs to it is not allowed
41
Longobardi
I grandi cani abbaianothe big dogs barkBig dogs bark.
*Grandi cani abbaianobig dogs barkBig dogs bark.
*Cani grandi abbaianodogs big barkBig dogs bark.
Proposal:
i occupies a position that...
... has to be filled
... cannot be filled by grandi
... cannot be filled by cani
ITALIAN COMMON NOUNS
42
Longobardi
Proposal:
i occupies a position that...
... has to be filled
... cannot be filled by grandi
... cannot be filled by cani
ITALIAN COMMON NOUNS
Proposal:
il occupies a position that...
... has to be filled
... cannot be filled by mio
... but can be filled by
moving Gianni to it
Only proper names can raise to D.
43
Longobardi
In order to refer (in argument position) NPs have to be associated with a D.
The association with D can be made in syntax or at LF.
This association can be made by adding an (overt or covert) D or by moving the noun to D. The latter option is only available for nouns that intrinsically refer to an individual (i.e. proper names).
In Italian the association is made in syntax.
In English the association is made at LF.
UNIVERSAL
PARAMETER
SETTING
SETTING
44
Longobardi
!Ho mangiato biscotti.
I_have eaten biscuits
I ate biscuits.
ITALIAN COMMON NOUNS
Proposal:
In ‘properly governed positions’ a null determiner can be inserted into D.
= everywhere except in preverbal subject position
45
Type-shifting ?
Types ?
Types...
two basic types:
- individuals (type e)- truth values (type t)
Hu Jintao
type e
president(s)
type <e,t>
Hu Jintao is president.
e + <e,t> = t
TRUE!
46
Type-shifting ?
Types ?
Types...
two basic types:
- individuals (type e)- truth values (type t)
Hu Jintao
type e
smile
type <e,t>
Hu Jintao [smile].
e + <e,t> = t
TRUE!
47
Type-shifting ?
Types ?
Types...
two basic types:
- individuals (type e)- truth values (type t)
president(s)
type <e,t>
smile
type <e,t>
Presidents [smile].
<e,t> + <e,t> = ?
OOPS...
48
Type-shifting ?
Types ?
Type-shifting...
president(s)
type <e,t>
xPresident(x) Qx[President(x)&Q(x)]
type <<e,t>,t>
xPresident(x) x[President(x)]
type e
xPresident(x) KINDx[President(x)]
type e
49
Type-shifting ?
Types ?
Type-shifting...
smile
type <e,t>
Presidents [smile].
<<e,t>,t> + <e,t> = t
Qx[President(x)&Q(x)]
type <<e,t>,t>
x[President(x)]
type e
KINDx[President(x)]
type e
e + <e,t> = t
50
Type-shifting ?
Types ?
Type-shifting...
Can we do whatever we want?
NO!Two constraints:
THOU SHALT NOT shift unless needed.
THOU SHALT NOT shift covertly if Thou hast a determiner that makes the same shift overtly.
51
Type-shifting ?
Types ?
Type-shifting...
smile
type <e,t>
Presidents [smile].
<<e,t>,t> + <e,t> = t
Qx[President(x)&Q(x)]
type <<e,t>,t>
x[President(x)]
type e
KINDx[President(x)]
type e
e + <e,t> = t
52
Type-shifting ?
Types ?
Type-shifting...
Hu Jintao
type e
the president
type e
Hu Jintao
type e
(is) the president
type e+ =?
xPresident(x) y[y=xPresident(x)]
type <e,t>
Hu Jintao
type e
(is) the president
type <e,t> + = t
54
Chierchia
Longobardi:
Italian common nouns need a D to be able to appear in argument position.
English common nouns don’t need a D to be able to appear in argument position.
Chierchia:
Italian common nouns are of type <e,t> and cannot be type-shifted (at least not without a covert D). [-arg; +pred]
English common nouns are of type <e,t> and can be type-shifted to type e or type <<e,t>,t>. [+arg; +pred]
Chierchia & Longobardi
55
Chierchia
Chierchia:
Italian common nouns are of type <e,t> and cannot be type-shifted (at least not without a covert D). [-arg; +pred]
English common nouns are of type <e,t> and can be type-shifted to type e or type <<e,t>,t>. [+arg; +pred]
Why aren’t there bare singular arguments in Italian?Why aren’t there bare singular arguments in English?
Chierchia Quiz
56
Chierchia
How does he derive the narrow-scope behaviour of the English bare plural?
e
<e,t>
<<e,t>,t>
KIND
Realization
English bare plural
57
Chierchia
How does he derive the narrow-scope behaviour of the Italian bare plural?
Italian bare plural
e
<e,t>
<<e,t>,t>
KIND
Realization
58
Chierchia
Does he have anything to say about other languages?
[-arg; +pred]
[+arg; +pred]
[-arg; -pred]
[+arg; -pred]
Italian
English
No language
Chinese
Typology
59
Chierchia
Extra assumption about Chinese:
all nouns start life as kind-referring expressions
-> predicts narrow-scope behaviour
Extra trivia about Chinese:
- language that doesn’t have number marking on nouns
- language that doesn’t have articles
Chinese
60
Chierchia
What are the possible English translations of xueshing (‘student’)?
a student
the student
students (existential)
students (kind)
the students
Can xueshing appear in a sentence like Hu shi xueshing (‘Hu is student’)?
Chierchia Quiz