2023
Non-conservative construals with proportional quantifiers: Theoretical and experimental considerations
GEHRKE, Berit, Radek ŠIMÍK and Marcin WĄGIELBasic information
Original name
Non-conservative construals with proportional quantifiers: Theoretical and experimental considerations
Authors
GEHRKE, Berit, Radek ŠIMÍK and Marcin WĄGIEL
Edition
GLiF Formal Linguistics Research Group, 30/03/2023, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, 2023
Other information
Language
English
Type of outcome
Requested lectures
Field of Study
60203 Linguistics
Country of publisher
Spain
Confidentiality degree
is not subject to a state or trade secret
References:
Organization unit
Faculty of Arts
Keywords in English
proportional quantifiers; percentage quantifiers; conservativity; non-conservative readings
Tags
International impact
Changed: 14/4/2023 14:59, Mgr. Marcin Wągiel, Ph.D.
Abstract
V originále
In this talk, we investigate constructions with proportional quantifiers that give rise to conservative as well as non-conservative readings. We show that previous accounts based on focus sensitivity make incorrect predictions with respect to non-conservative readings. Our observations are based on theoretical considerations, which we then aim to tease apart in a series of experiments. We argue against ascribing a crucial role to focus for the non-conservative reading to arise, in taking focus to merely be derivative from the requirement of non-conservative quantifiers to appear low, paired with a general rule for sentential stress placement. We argue that the non-conservative effect comes about due to semantic incorporation and, in the case of intransitives, the structure is essentially a kind of existential construction.