Default Semantics: Foundations of a Compositional Theory of Acts of Communication (Oxford Linguistics)

300 Pages·2005·2.77 MB·English

by  K. M. Jaszczolt

Default Semantics
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Default Semantics
Foundations of a Compositional Theory of Acts
of Communication
K. M. JASZCZOLT
1
3
GreatClarendonStreet,Oxfordox26dp
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Contents
Preface xi
ListofAbbreviationsandSymbols xiii
Introduction xv
Part I. Foundations 1
1 MeaningRepresentation:SettingtheScene 3
1.1 Thesemantics/pragmaticsmerger 3
1.2 QuestioningunderspeciWcation 12
1.3 Questioning logicalform 19
1.4 Questioningwhatissaid 21
1.5 Questioningthemiddlelevelofmeaning 24
1.6 Representationsinrichdynamicsemantics 28
1.7 Representationsandconsciousinference 33
2 DefaultMeanings 40
2.1 Varietiesofdefaults 40
2.1.1 Eclecticdefaults 40
2.1.2 Rule-governeddefaults 44
2.1.3 Jumpingtoconclusions 46
2.1.4 Contentsandsourcesofdefaults 46
2.2 Cognitivedefaults 47
2.2.1 Defaultsinsemantics 47
2.2.2 Intentionalityofmentalstates 48
2.2.3 Degreesofintentions 51
2.3 Culturalandsocialdefaults 53
2.3.1 Physicaldefaults? 53
2.3.2 Social–culturaldefaults 55
2.3.3 Lexicaldefaults? 58
2.4 Stayingonthesemantictrack 61
2.4.1 Defaultsandtruthconditions 61
2.4.2 QuestioningGCI 63
2.4.3 Questioningcancellationofdefaults 65
2.5 Limitations 66
viii Contents
3 Compositionality andMergerRepresentations 70
3.1 Compositionalmeaning 70
3.2 Rethinkingcompositionalsemantics 73
3.3 Metacompositionality 82
3.4 Foundationsofaformalaccount 85
3.4.1 Truth-conditionalsemanticsandtruth-conditional
pragmatics 85
3.4.2 Principlesofrelationalsemantics 87
3.4.3 Compositionality indynamicsemantics
for(i)DRSsand(ii)mergerrepresentations 95
3.5 Cognitiveprinciplesformergerrepresentations 96
3.5.1 PoL,DI,andPI 96
3.5.2 Semanticizationofintentions 97
3.5.3 Theinferentialend? 98
Part II. Some Applications 103
4 DefaultsforDeWniteDescriptions 105
4.1 Defaultreferential,non-defaultreferential,
andattributivereadings 105
4.2 DeWnitedescriptionsinmergerrepresentations 108
4.3 DeWnitedescriptions,propernames,andindexicals:
degreesofreferring? 115
5 DefaultSemanticsforPropositionalAttitudeReports 120
5.1 Context-dependentsubstitutivity 120
5.2 Degreesofmodeofpresentation 125
5.3 Mergerrepresentationsfor beliefreports 131
6 FuturityandEnglishwill 147
6.1 Futurityandtheusesofwill:twointerrelatedproblems 147
6.2 Themodalityofwill 149
6.3 Futureasmodality 155
6.4 Theanalysis 157
6.4.1 Tense-freefuturity? 157
6.4.2 TheAccoperator 159
6.4.3 TheapplicationofAcc 162
6.5 Conclusions 174
6.6 Temporalityasmodality:someopenquestions
andfurtherextensions 175
Contents ix
7 DefaultSemanticsforPresuppositionasAnaphora 187
7.1 Bindingandaccommodation 187
7.2 Genuineambiguityofpartialmatches? 189
7.3 Presuppositionandfocus 192
7.4 Otherprinciplesforselectinganaphors 193
7.5 Scalesanddefaultsforpresuppositionalanaphors 196
7.6 Summary 202
8 TheMythofSententialConnectives? 205
8.1 Theoptimist’sapproachtosententialconnectives
andtheGriceanlegacy 205
8.1.1 Irregularand 205
8.1.2 Orandnomore 209
8.1.3 Freedomofdenial 212
8.1.4 Theimperfectconditionalperfection 216
8.2 Summary:theunitaryDSaccount 218
8.3 Futureprojections 219
9 DefaultSemanticsforNumberTerms 222
9.1 Number termsandnumberconcepts 222
9.2 Exactvalue,‘absolutevalue’,anddefaultuse 225
9.3 MergerrepresentationsforCDandCPI1readings
ofcardinalnumber terms 230
9.4 Summaryandfurtherdirections 234
10 ConcludingRemarksandFutureProspects 239
10.1 ‘Pragmatic’truthconditionsanddynamic‘semantics’ 239
10.2 ThescopeofDefaultSemantics 241
References 243
Index 261