27 October: DCLRS -- Ede Zimmermann, Friday, November 2, 4pm, Joly Theatre
Dublin Computational Linguistics Research Seminar: Index of October 2001 | Dublin Computational Linguistics Research Seminar - Index of year: 2001 | Full index
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| Dublin Computational Linguistics Research Seminar |
| DCLRS 2001/2002 |
| DCU TCD UCD |
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venue: Joly Lecture Theatre, Hamilton Building,
Trinity College
time: 4:00-6:00, Friday, November 2
speaker:
title: "Coercion vs. Indeterminacy in Opaque Verbs"
Professor Ede Zimmermann
Department of Linguistics
University of Frankfurt
abstract:
This talk is about the semantic analysis of opaque
verbs like "seek" and "owe", which allow for
unspecific readings of their indefinite objects.
According to the standard analysis of opacity (due to
Quine and Montague), opaque verbs express relations
between individuals and unspecific objects,
reconstructed as existential quantifiers, the specific
reading arising by scopal variability. There are least
two phenomena that standard analysis does not handle
appropriately. For one thing, existential
generalization is predicted to fail on the unspecific
reading, which it does not; for another thing,
specific readings are predicted to express attitudes
to propositions about individuals, which they do
not. The deficiencies can be remedied by a
re-interpretation of noun phrases like "something" as
quantifiers over quantifiers, and of the quantfier
raising construction as expresssing "de re" construal,
respectively. Taken together the two modifications may
shed light on the question of how precisely specific
and unspecific readings are related. On the orthodox
view, the specific construal is derived from the
underlying unspecific meaning by a systematic coercion
mechanism; on an alternative view, opaque verbs are
semantically indeterminate between the two
understandings. It will be argued that any known
evidence in favour of the coercion view is flawed,
although there is weak evidence in favour of the
indeterminacy analysis.
The Dublin Computational Linguistics Research Seminar series is run
jointly by DCU (Dublin City University), TCD (Trinity College Dublin)
and UCD (University College Dublin).
The 2001/2002 seminar series is hosted by Trinity College with the
support of the Department of Computer Science, the Centre for Language
and Communication Studies, the Department of Germanic Studies, the
School of Irish, the Department of French and the Centre for Computing
and Language Studies.
For an indication of parts of recent seminar contents, see:
http://www.cs.tcd.ie/research_groups/clg/DCLRS.html
Dublin Computational Linguistics Research Seminar - Index of October 2001 | Index of year: 2001 | Full index