On NPI-Licensing and the semantics of Because -Sentences

1

On NPI-Licensing and the semantics of Because-Sentences

I-Ta Chris Hsieh

University of Connecticut, Storrs

2

The Goal: An adequate analysis for the licensing

of minimizers and weak NPIs in

because-sentences

How: By investigating the semantic and

syntactic properties of because-

sentences.

3

Basic FactsWeak-NPIs

(1) a. *John did not marry any woman because he had money, but because he was afraid of being alone.

b. John did not marry Sue because she had any money, but because he loves her.

4

Basic FactsMinimizers

(2) a. *John did not even lift a finger to help Sue because he married her, but because he was intimidated by her.

b. *John did not marry Sue because she even lifted a finger to help him, but because he loved her.

5

Basic FactsMinimizers and Yes-No Questions:

(3) a. *Did John even lift a finger to help Sue because he married her?

b. *Did John marry Sue because she even lifted a finger to help him?

6

Basic FactsMimimizers, Weak NPIs and

Negation

(4) a. John didn’t marry any woman.

b. John didn’t (even) lift a finger to

help Mary.

7

Basic FactsMinimizers and Weak NPIs in Questions

(5) a. S: Did John (even) lift a finger to

help Mary?

A: #Yes, he did. A: No, he didn’t.

b. S: Did John ever help Mary?

A: Yes, he did. A: No, he didn’t.

8

Basic Facts

(1) b. John did not marry Sue because

she had any money, but because he loves her.(2) b. *John did not marry Sue because she even lifted a finger to help him, but because he loved her.

9

Why does Because block the licensing of weak NPIs in the mian clause and

minimizers?

Why is the licensing of weak NPIs in the reasoning adjunct not influenced by the intervention of Because?

10

The Licensing Condition for NPIs

Fauconnier-Ladusaw-von-Fintel Poposal

(6) a. An NPI is only grammatical if it is in the scope of such that [[ ]] is SDE.

b. S(trwason-)D(ownward)E(ntailing) : A function f of type <, > is Strawson-downward entailing (SDE) iff For all x, y of type such that xy and f(x) is defined: f(y)f(x)

11

Example:

(7) Only John ate any vegetables

for breakfast.

(8) a. [[ only]](x)(P) is defined only if

P(x)=1

If defined, [[ only]] (x)(P)=1 iff

¬yx: P(y)=1

12

Assumptions on NPIs

(8) b. Only John ate vegetables for breakfast.

Presupposition: John ate vegetables

for breakfast.

c. Only John ate kale for breakfast.

Presupposition: John ate kales for

breakfast.

(8b)+ the presupposition of (8c) (8c)

13

Note:

SDE is just a necessary condition.

Crucially,

A licensing environment can never

be (S)UE.

14

(9) a. *The student who has any books

on NPIs is selling them.

b. The students who have any

books on NPIs are selling them.

15

Assumptions on Because

Lewis-Style Semantics:

(10)[[ because ]]w,A,R(p)(q) is defined in w only if: a. wq, and b. wp;

when defined, [[ because ]]w,A,R(p)(q)=1 iff wMax((A(w))p )(R(w)): wq

16

Problems for Lewis’s BecauseProblem 1: Because and Causation

(12) a. Mary’s being in a bad mood caused John’s complaining.

b. John complained because Mary was in a bad mood.

17

Problems for Lewis’s Because

Problem 1: Because and Causation

(13) a. It is not the case that any storms caused any floods.

b. *It is not the case that there were any floods because there were any storms.

18

Problem 2: the Entailment Property

According to (10), The main clause of a because-sentence is (only) SDE.

19

Prediction: Weak-NPIs are licensed in the main clause of a because-sentence.

But: (15) a. *John read any book because he was bored. b. *John had ever read a book because he was bored.

20

New Semantics for Because

(16) [[ because]]A,R, w(p)(q) is defined only if:a. wq and wMax(A(w))(R(w)), andb. Max(A(w))(R(w))q

If defined, [[ because]]A,R,w(p)(q)=1 iff w’Max(A(w))(R(w)): w′(qp) (i.e.w′p)

21

New Semantics for Because

-The main clause (in the scope of negation) is UE, SDE, SUE.

-The reasoning adjunct is UE and DE under negation.

22

On Licensing of Weak-NPIs

In the Main Clause

(18) a. *John did not marry any woman

because he had money, but

because he was afraid of being

alone.

-The main clause is UE, SDE, and SUE.

-(S)UE-contexts do not license NPIs.

23

On Weak-NPI LicensingIn the Reasoning Adjunct

(18b) John did not marry Sue because she

had any money, but because he loves

her.

-The reasoning adjunct is UE and DE under negation.

-(S)DE-contexts license NPIs.

24

On the Licenisng of Minimizers

-Lift a finger, Give a damn

-Even+Low Endpoint (Heim 1984, a.o.)

(19) [[even]]w(p) is defined only if

q[qC &qp Likelihood(p)(w) < Likelihood(q)(w)]

(Scalar Presupposition)

If defined, [[even]]w(p)=1 iff p(w)=1

25

At LF, even moves across DE-operators.

The alternative set is determined by the scope of even.

The Scalar Presupposition can only be satisfied in a proposition with the low endpoint if it is a DE-context.

26

On the Licenisng of Minimizers (20) a. John didn’t (even) lift a finer to help Mary.

b. LF: [even [NOT [John helped Mary to

the [minimal]F degree]]]

c. The Alternative Set C: {John did not help Mary to the minimal degree, John did not help Mary to a certain degree, …………………………………………….. John did not help Mary a large degree}

27

On the Licenisng of Minimizers (21) a. *John (even) lifted a finer to help Mary. b. LF: [even [John helped Mary to the

[minimal]F degree]]

c. The set of alternatives C: {John helped Mary to the minimal degree, John helped Mary to a certain degree, ……………………………………… John helped Mary to the maximal degree}

28

On the Licenising of Minimizers

Through LF-movement of Even,

not…even….because

But

*even…not….because

See (22)

29

On the Licenising of Minimizers

In a Negated Because-sentences,

Minimizers in the Main Clause

(23) *John did not even lift a finger to help Sue

because he married her, but because he was

intimidated by her.

30

LF1 :

not

because……

even[…help..to the [minimal]F degree]

31

The set of alternatives C:

{John helped Mary to the minimal degree,

John helped Mary to a certain degree,

………………………………………

John helped Mary to the maximal degree}

The Scalar Presupposition fails.

32

LF2 :

not

even

because……

[….the [minimal]F degree]

33

On the Licensing of Minimizers

The alternative set C:{John helped Sue to the minimal degree

because he married her; John helped Sue to a certain degree because

he married her; …………………………………………… John helped sue to the maximal degree

because he married her}

The Scalar Presupposition fails.

34

On the Licensing of Minimizers

In a Negated Because-sentence,

Minimizers in the Reasoning Adjunct

(24) *John did not marry Sue because she even

lifted a finger to help him, but because he

loved her.

35

LF1 :

not

Because [even…[…[minimal]F]]

……………………

36

The set of alternatives C:

{John helped Mary to the minimal degree,

John helped Mary to a certain degree,

………………………………………

John helped Mary to the maximal degree}

The Scalar Presupposition fails in LF1.

37

LF2 :

not

even

because [… [Minimal]F]

…………………

38

The Alternative set C:{John married Sue because she helped him to

the minimal degree;John married Sue because she helped him to a

certain degree;……………………………………………John married Sue because she helped him to

the maximal degree}

The Scalar Presupposition fails in LF2.

39

On the Licensing of Minimizers In a Yes-No Question of Because-sentences,

Minimizers in the Main Clause(26) *Did John even lift a finger to help Sue

because he married her?

Minimizers in the Reasoning Adjunct

(27) *Did John marry Sue because she even

lifted a finger to help him?

40

Guerzoni (2003, 2004):

Scope Interaction of Even and the Trace of Whether

(25) Did John (even) lift a finger to help Mary?

a. LF: [Whether1[even [t1 John helped Mary to the [minimal]F degree]]

b. {p1=even[John helped Mary to the [minimal]F degree], p2=even[not [John helped Mary to the [minimal]F degree]]}

The ScalarP fails in p1.

41

On the Licensing of Minimizers Further Assunption based on (22):

In a Yes-No Question of Because-sentences,

Through LF-Movement,

Whether…t1… even…because

But

*Whether…even…t1…because

42

On the Licensing of Minimizers In a Yes-No Question of Because-sentences,

Minimizers in the Main Clause(26) *Did John even lift a finger to help Sue

because he married her?

43

LF1 :

Whether1

t1

because….

even[…help..to the [minimal]F degree]

44

Extension:

{p1=[[because John married Sue][even [John

helped Sue to the [minimal]F degree]]];

p2= [not [[because John married Sue][even

[John helped Sue to the [minimal]F

degree]]]]}ScalarP fails in both p1 and p2.

45

LF2 :

Whether1

t1

even

because……

[….the [minimal]F degree]

46

Extension:

{p1=[even [[because John married Sue][John helped Sue to the [minimal]F degree]];

p2=[not[even[[because John married Sue][John helped Sue tothe [minimal]F degree]]]}

ScalarP fails in both p1 and p2.

47

On the Licensing of Minimizers In a Yes-No Question of Because-sentences,

Minimizers in the Reasoning Adjuncts

(27) *Did John marry Sue because she even

lifted a finger to help him?

48

LF1 :

Whether1

t1

Because [even…[…[minimal]F]]

……………………

49

Extension:

{p1=[[because [even [Sue helped John to the

[minimal]F degree]][John married Sue]]];

p2=[not [[because[even Sue helped John to

the [minimal]F degree]][John married

Sue]]]]}

ScalarP fails in both p1 and p2.

50

LF2 :

Whether1

t1

even

because..[Minimal]F

…………………

51

Extension:

{p1=[even [[because Sue helped John to the

[minimal]F degree][John married Sue]]];

p2=[not [even [[because Sue helped John to

the [minimal]F degree][John married

Sue]]]]}

ScalarP fails in both p1 and p2.

52

On the Licensing of Minimizers

Further Prediction 1:

(28) John even did not marry Sue because she

lifted a finger to help John, (but because...).

LF: [even [not [[because Sue helped John to the [minimal]F degree][John married Sue]]]]

53

On the Licensing of Minimizers Further Prediction 2:

(29) S:Did John even marry Sue because she lifted

a finger to help him?

A: #Yes. A: No.

LF:

[Whetheri [even [ti [[because Sue helped John to the[minimal]F degree][John married Sue]]]]]

54

On the Licensing of Minimizers Further Prediction 3: W/O Overt Even

(30) a. ?John didn’t marry Sue because she lifted a

finger to help him, (but because….)

b. ?Did John marry Sue because she lifted a

finger to help him?

55

Open Question Counterfactual-Conditional Inference

(31) a. If p, then q

If the United States had used nuclear arms in

Vietnam, it would have won the war.

b. q because p

The United Sates did not win the war because it

did not use nuclear arms.

56

The End

Thank You!!