Multidimensional semantics of evaluative adverbs

228 Pages·2012·8.92 MB·English

by  Mingyan Liu

Multidimensional Semantics of Evaluative
Adverbs
Current Research in the Semantics/Pragmatics Interface
Series Editors:
Klaus von Heusinger, University of Cologne, Germany
Ken Turner, University of Brighton, UK
Other titles in this series:
Escandell-Vidal, Leonetti & Ahern Volume 25, Procedural Meaning: Problems and Perspectives
(eds.)
Turner (ed.) Volume 24, Making Semantics Pragmatic
Butler Volume 23, The Semantics of Grammatical Dependencies
Feng Volume 22, A Theory of Conventional Implicature and
Pragmatic Markers in Chinese
Bäuerle, Zimmermann & Reyle (eds.) Volume 21, Presuppositions and Discourse: Essays Offered to
Hans Kamp
De Brabanter & Kissine (eds.) Volume 20, Utterance Interpretation and Cognitive Models
Mosegaard Hansen Volume 19, Particles at the Semantics/Pragmatics Interface
Pietarinen (ed.) Volume 18, Game Theory and Linguistic Meaning
Aloni, Butler & Dekker (eds.) Volume 17, Questions in Dynamic Semantics
Von Heusinger & Turner (eds.) Volume 16, Where Semantics Meets Pragmatics
Bultinck Volume 15, Numerous Meanings: The Meaning of English
Cardinals and the Legacy of Paul Grice
Wedgwood Volume 14, Shifting the Focus: From Static Structures to the
Dynamics of Interpretation
Dobrovol’skij & Piirainen (eds.) Volume 13, Figurative Language: Cross-cultural and
Cross-linguistic Perspectives
Peregrin (ed.) Volume 12, Meaning: The Dynamic Turn
Kamp & Partee (eds.) Volume 11, Context-Dependence in the Analysis of Linguistic
Meaning
Gutiérrez-Rexach (ed.) Volume 10, From Words to Discourse: Trends in Spanish
Semantics and Pragmatics
Bras & Vieu (eds.) Volume 9, Semantic and Pragmatic Issues in Discourse and
Dialogue
Németh & Bibok (eds.) Volume 8, Pragmatics and the Flexibility of Word Meaning
Leezenberg Volume 7, Contexts of Metaphor
Papafragou Volume 6, Modality: Issues in the Semantics-Pragmatics
Interface
Peeters (ed.) Volume 5, The Lexicon-Encyclopedia Interface
Jaszczolt (ed.) Volume 4, The Pragmatics of Propositional Attitude Reports
Geurts Volume 3, Presuppositions and Pronouns
Jaszczolt Volume 2, Discourse, Beliefs and Intentions: Semantic
Defaults and Propositional Attitude Ascription
Turner (ed.) Volume 1, The Semantics/Pragmatics Interface from Different
Points of View
Multidimensional Semantics of
Evaluative Adverbs
BY
Mingya Liu
University of Göttingen, Germany
LEIDEN • BOSTON
2012
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012953492
ISSN 1472-7870
ISBN 978-1-78190-271-4 (hardback)
ISBN 978-90-04-24849-6 (e-book)
Copyright 2012 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Fees are subject to change.
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
CurrentResearchintheSemantics/PragmaticsInterface(CRiSPI)
SeriesEditors:KlausvonHeusinger,UniversityofCologne,GermanyandKenTurner,
UniversityofBrighton,UK
EditorialBoard:
NicholasAsher,Universit´ePaulSabatier,France
BettyBirner,NorthernIllinoisUniversity,USA
ClaudiaCasadio,Universit´adeglistudiG.d’AnnunzioChietePescara,Italy
ArielCohen,BenGurionUniversity,Israel
MarceloDascal,TelAvivUniversity,Israel
PaulDekker,UniversityofAmsterdam,TheNetherlands
RegineEckardt,UniversityofG¨ottingen,Germany
MarkusEgg,HumboldtUniversityBerlin,Germany
DonkaFarkas,UniversityofCalifornia,SantaCruz,USA
BruceFraser,BostonUniversity,USA
ThorsteinFretheim,NorwegianUniversityofScienceandTechnology,Norway
BrendanGillon,McGillUniversity,Canada
JeroenGroenendijk,UniversityofAmsterdam,TheNetherlands
YueguoGu,ChineseAcademyofSocialSciences,PRC
LarryHorn,YaleUniversity,USA
YanHuang,UniversityofAuckland,NewZealand
AsaKasher,TelAvivUniversity,Israel
ManfredKrifka,HumboldtUniversityBerlin,Germany
SusumuKubo,MatsuyamaUniversity,Japan
ChungminLee,SeoulNationalUniversity,Korea
StephenLevinson,MaxPlanckInstituteforPsycholinguistics,TheNetherlands
ClaudiaMaienborn,UniversityofTu¨bingen,Germany
TonyMcEnery,LancasterUniversity,UK
Franc-oisNemo,UniversityofOrl´eans,France
PeterPelyvas,UniversityofDebrecen,Hungary
JaroslavPeregrin,CzechAcademyofSciencesandUniversityofHradecKr´alov´e,
CzechRepublic
AllanRamsay,UniversityofManchester,UK
KjellJohanSæbø,UniversityofOslo,Norway
RobertStalnaker,MassachusettsInstituteofTechnology,USA
MartinStokhof,UniversityofAmsterdam,TheNetherlands
JohanvanderAuwera,UniversityofAntwerp,Belgium
RobvanderSandt,RadboudUniversityNijmegen,TheNetherlands
GregoryWard,NorthwesternUniversity,USA
HenkZeevat,UniversityofAmsterdam,TheNetherlands
ThomasEdeZimmermann,UniversityofFrankfurt,Germany
Theaimofthisseriesistofocusupontherelationshipbetweensemanticandpragmatic
theoriesforavarietyofnaturallanguageconstructions.Theboundarybetweensemantics
andpragmaticscanbedrawninmanyvariousways;therelativebenefitsofeachgaverise
toavividtheoreticaldisputeintheliteratureinthelasttwodecades.Asasideeffect,this
variety has given rise to a degree of uncertainty and lack of purpose in the extant
publications on the topic. This series provides a forum where the uncertainty within
existing literature can be removed and the issues raised by different positions can be
discussedwitharenewedsenseofpurpose.Theeditorsintendthecontributionstothis
seriestotakefurtherstridestowardsclarityandcautiousconsensus.

To my grandparents

Contents
A. cknowledgements xi
A. bbreviations xiii
N. otation conventions xv
1 Introduction 1
2 Evaluative Adverbs, Conventional Presuppositions and
Conventional Implicatures 9
2.1 Introduction 9
2.2 EADVs and CIs 19
2.2.1 A Non-truth-conditional Approach and
its Problems 22
2.2.2 Semantic Duality and Assertoric Asymmetry 26
2.2.3 A Two-dimensional Approach and its Problems 30
2.3 EADVs and CPs 42
2.3.1 The Undefinedness of At-issue Contents 43
2.3.2 The Undefinedness of CIs 52
2.4 The Projection Problem of EADVs 58
2.4.1 The Embeddability of EADVs 61
2.4.2 The Projection of EADVs in Conditionals 64
2.4.3 Supplements that do not Project 70
2.5 Summary of the Chapter 72
3 A Logic for Conventional Presuppositions and Conventional
Implicatures 73
3.1 The Dimensions of CPs and CIs 73
ix
x Contents
3.2 L (Potts, 2005) 73
CI
3.3 L 78
CP/CI
4 The Positive Polarity of EADVs 89
4.1 Introduction 89
4.2 The Distribution of EADVs 93
4.2.1 EADVs and Negation 93
4.2.2 EADVs and Modals 95
4.2.3 EADVs and Questions 102
4.2.4 EADVs and Conditionals 103
4.2.5 EADVs and Other contexts 104
4.3 A Polarity Approach to EADVs 107
4.3.1 Negative Polarity Items 108
4.3.2 Positive Polarity Items 115
4.3.3 EADVs as PPIs: Experimental Evidence 119
4.3.4 Non-veridicality Account 123
4.4 A Projection Approach to EADVs 129
4.4.1 EADVs in L 130
CP/CI
4.4.2 EADV Ordering 142
4.5 Summary of the Chapter 150
5 The Subjective Meaning of EADVs 153
5.1 Introduction 153
5.2 Predicates of Personal Taste (PPTs) 159
5.2.1 Two Kinds of Vagueness 161
5.2.2 Previous Analyses 166
5.2.3 Kinds of (Dis)agreement 170
5.3 EADVs 175
5.3.1 Three Kinds of Vagueness 176
5.3.2 Analysis 182
5.3.3 Embedded EADVs 186
5.3.4 Quantified Judges 191
5.4 Summary of the Chapter 197
6 Conclusion, Problems and Outlook 199
References 205
Appendix 211