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Training and Timing Local Scalar Enrichments under Global Pragmatic Pressures.
- Source :
-
Journal of Semantics . Feb2017, Vol. 34 Issue 1, p107-126. 20p. - Publication Year :
- 2017
-
Abstract
- Elementary sentences containing the quantificational determiner some seem to be ambiguous between a 'weak' existential meaning ∃ and a 'strengthened' some but not all meaning ∃+. The strengthened meaning is commonly assumed to be the output of a general enrichment mechanism, call it G (for 'global'), that applies to the weak meaning of the sentence: G (∃) = ∃+. The application of G has been shown to come with a processing cost (e.g. Bott & Noveck 2004). We used a self-paced reading task together with offline comprehension questions to investigate the interpretation of sentences containing some when embedded inside a disjunction, a position that G cannot access. Our findings suggest (i) that the strengthened meaning ∃+ is available in embedded positions, suggesting that a mechanism of local strengthening L must be available: L (∃) = ∃+, (ii) that local enrichment can be facilitated by global pragmatic pressures (Chierchia et al. 2008; Mayr & Romoli 2014), (iii) that subjects can be quickly trained to systematically prefer one of G or L to the other, (iv) that application of L, like the application of G, comes with a processing cost. We highlight consequences of our findings for debates about the characterization of enrichment mechanisms, focusing on the relation between G and L . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *SENTENCES (Grammar)
*PRAGMATICS
*SEMANTICS
*INFERENCE (Logic)
*PARSING (Grammar)
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 01675133
- Volume :
- 34
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Journal of Semantics
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 121227347
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1093/jos/ffw006