Bocado: scalar semantics and polarity sensitivity

2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (4) ◽  
pp. 1114-1136
Author(s):  
Patrícia Amaral
Keyword(s):  
Positive Polarity ◽  
Q Value ◽  
Polarity Item ◽  
Lexical Meaning ◽  
Negative Polarity Item ◽  
History Of ◽  
Old Portuguese ◽  
Polarity Sensitive ◽  
Scalar Reasoning ◽  
Shed Light

AbstractThis paper traces the developments of the noun bocado as it participates in two polarity-sensitive constructions in the history of Portuguese: the minimizer bocado ‘[not even] a bit’, a negative polarity item in Old Portuguese, and the degree adverbial um bocado ‘a bit’, which emerges in the 1700 s and is a positive polarity item. I adopt Israel’s (2011) grammar of polarity based on two lexical features, a quantitative value (q-value) and an informative value (i-value), in order to analyze the properties of these constructions as they reveal the interaction between lexical meaning and the logic of scalar reasoning. By applying this model in diachrony, I show how the logic of pragmatic scales underlies the patterns observed: a low q-value (lexical meaning) constrains the possible contexts of use of the expression in terms of the informativity of the propositions conveyed. Diachronic studies can thus shed light on the types of meaning associated with scalar terms as well as on types of scalar items.

scholarly journals On the tri-ambiguous status of 'any': The view from child language

2010 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyn Shan Tieu
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Free Choice ◽  
Child Language ◽  
Negative Polarity ◽  
Polarity Item ◽  
Negative Polarity Item ◽  
Child Language Acquisition ◽  
Npi Licensing ◽  
Polarity Sensitive ◽  
Shed Light

This paper examines the monolingual acquisition of the English polarity-sensitive item 'any', and uses evidence from child language acquisition to shed light on two questions that arise from the theoretical semantics literature. First, evidence from child spontaneous speech production is used to argue that children are grammatically conservative in their acquisition of negative polarity item (NPI) licensing. The same child data are then used to argue the following: (i) there is only one NPI 'any', subject to a disjunctive licensing condition; (ii) NPI 'any' differs in some way from free choice (FC) 'any', resulting in the later emergence of FC 'any'.

scholarly journals On the tri-ambiguous status of 'any': The view from child language

2015 ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Lyn Shan Tieu
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Free Choice ◽  
Child Language ◽  
Negative Polarity ◽  
Polarity Item ◽  
Negative Polarity Item ◽  
Child Language Acquisition ◽  
Npi Licensing ◽  
Polarity Sensitive ◽  
Shed Light

This paper examines the monolingual acquisition of the English polarity-sensitive item 'any', and uses evidence from child language acquisition to shed light on two questions that arise from the theoretical semantics literature. First, evidence from child spontaneous speech production is used to argue that children are grammatically conservative in their acquisition of negative polarity item (NPI) licensing. The same child data are then used to argue the following: (i) there is only one NPI 'any', subject to a disjunctive licensing condition; (ii) NPI 'any' differs in some way from free choice (FC) 'any', resulting in the later emergence of FC 'any'.

scholarly journals Fragment answers and double negation in strict negative concord languages

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anamaria Fălăuș ◽  
Andreea Nicolae
Keyword(s):  
Negative Concord ◽  
Double Negation ◽  
Polarity Item ◽  
Polarity Sensitivity ◽  
Fragment Answers ◽  
Explanatory Account ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Two Parameters ◽  
Polarity Sensitive ◽  
Shed Light

This paper revisits the phenomenon of negative concord (NC) as an instance of polarity sensitivity. We shed light on a new set of data regarding n-words as fragment answers to negative questions and show that we find unexpected double negation (DN) readings for fragment n-words in view of their behavior in non-elliptical constructions. To account for this pattern, we offer an updated version of the hypothesis that n-words are strong NPIs, making use of an alternative and exhaustification approach. We argue that the difference between n-words and other NPIs should be seen as the result of two parameters: (i) whether reconstruction of the polarity item is allowed, and (ii) whether the polarity item has the ability to license a covert negation operator. The result is an explanatory account of NC and DN readings in both non-elliptical and elliptical environments, which allows for an easier integration of n-words in the broader typology of polarity sensitive items. 

Development of ‘say’-derived constructions

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 296-325
Author(s):  
Mizuho Tamaji
Keyword(s):  
Negative Polarity ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
Positive Polarity ◽  
Polarity Item ◽  
Entire Process ◽  
Negative Polarity Item ◽  
Complement Clause ◽  
Positive Evaluation

Abstract Totemo in contemporary Japanese is a degree adverb (intensifier). Previous studies have reported that totemo derived from the adverb totemo kakutemo, which means ‘either way’ (and hence is a bipolar item) in classical Japanese. These studies also reported that totemo became a negative polarity item (an adverb modifying words for negative evaluation), but then shifted to a positive polarity item (an adverb modifying words for positive evaluation), and that counter-expectation factors played an important role in this shift. It is reported that the ‘say’-derived complementizer develops into a hearsay evidential marker, counter-expectation marker, and in some cases an intensifier (e.g. Wang et al. 2003) in some languages. Tote in classical Japanese is known as a ‘say’-derived complementizer, but it does not grammaticalize into an intensifier. This study maintains that the intensifier totemo also derived from the verb ‘say’ and the entire process of grammaticalization of totemo may be chronologized as follows: concessive use of quotative > concessive use of hearsay evidential > counter-expectation marker > intensifier. Thus, this study reveals the language-specific development of grammaticalization of the intensifier totemo. We also reveal that a reanalysis of the concessive subordinator and the elision of the complement clause preceding totemo as a sentence initial counter-expectation marker further gave rise to the sentence-medial parenthetical phrase (intensifier) totemo.

scholarly journals GRAMMATICALIZATION OF NOUNS IN JORDANIAN ARABIC: EVIDENCE FROM ʃIKIL AND OMIR

2021 ◽  
pp. 16-22
Author(s):  
Murad AL KAYED
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Negative Polarity ◽  
Grammatical Function ◽  
Jordanian Arabic ◽  
Polarity Item ◽  
Lexical Meaning ◽  
Negative Polarity Item ◽  
Original Meaning ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
Phonetic Reduction

The current study aims at exploring the grammaticalization of the nouns ʃikil 'shape' and omir 'age' in Jordanian Arabic. The data were collected from Jordanian T.V. series and interviews with native speakers of Jordanian Arabic. The sample of the study consisted of 300 tokens of ʃikil and 200 tokens of omir. The researcher collected the data, then he analysed the functions of these two words. The study found out that ʃikil was used 100 times as a noun meaning 'shape', and 200 times as an evidential particle. Besides, omir was also used as a noun 60 times and 140 times as a negative polarity item. The findings of the study showed that ʃikil has one lexical meaning 'shape', and it evolved by the process of grammaticalization into an evidential particle. ʃikil underwent the process of semantic bleaching, since it lost its content meaning and developed to serve a grammatical function of evidentially. Bedsides, it was decategorized as it lost the grammatical features of nouns, i.e. it cannot be pluralized and cannot accept definite articles. Also ʃikil lost its stress as part of phonetic reduction. Similarly, omir has one lexical meaning 'age' and developed into a negative polarity item. Omir was affected by the process of semantic bleaching and decategorization as it was developed from its original meaning as a noun meaning 'age' into a negative polarity item. Additionally, omir underwent the process of phonetic reduction as it lost stress. The study found out that ʃikil and omir underwent three stages of grammaticalization: semantic bleaching, decategorization, and phonetic reduction.

Acquisition of the polarity sensitive item renhe ‘any’ in Mandarin Chinese

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 861-889 ◽  
Author(s):  
AIJUN HUANG ◽  
STEPHEN CRAIN
Keyword(s):  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Free Choice ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Value Judgment ◽  
Polarity Item ◽  
Semantic Constraints ◽  
Negative Polarity Item ◽  
Ordinary Conversation ◽  
Polarity Sensitive ◽  
Temporal Conjunction

ABSTRACTThe present study investigated Mandarin-speaking children's acquisition of the polarity sensitive item renhe ‘any’ in Mandarin Chinese. Like its English counterpart any, renhe can be used as a negative polarity item (NPI), or as a free choice (FC) item, and both the distribution and interpretation of renhe are governed by the same syntactic and semantic constraints as English any. Using a Truth Value Judgment Task, the present study tested five-year-old Mandarin-speaking children's comprehension of FC renhe in sentences containing the modal word neng ‘can’, and tested children's comprehension of NPI renhe in sentences containing the temporal conjunction zai…zhiqian ‘before’. Most children demonstrated knowledge of the interpretation of both FC renhe and NPI renhe despite a paucity of relevant adult input. Like adults, however, Mandarin-speaking children do not use renhe frequently in ordinary conversation, due to the availability of alternative colloquial expressions (wh-pronouns) that also convey children's intended meanings.

scholarly journals E catou pella nave e nom viu rem, que a noite era muito escura Sobre o estatuto de rem em Português Antigo

2019 ◽  
pp. 305-324
Author(s):  
Clara Pinto
Keyword(s):  
Negative Polarity ◽  
Common Noun ◽  
Romance Languages ◽  
Polarity Item ◽  
Polarity Items ◽  
Negative Polarity Item ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Common ◽  
Old Portuguese

This article presents the grammaticalization path of the item rem as an indefinite minimizer (cf. Pinto 2015) in Old Portuguese. Originating from the common noun rem, the indefinite minimizer presents several features that indicate it was on its way to become a more functional item. It could be distinguished from the common noun rem due to its lack of referential meaning and other nominal properties such as the absence of ɸ-features and the occurrence as a bare noun. Nevertheless, it disappears very early from the language, not going beyond the status of a weak negative polarity item. One of the reasons that is believed to have favoured its disappearance was the competition with other identical items, namely the indefinite minimizer cousa ‘thing’ and the negative indefinite nada ‘nothing’. Contrary to what is verified for Portuguese rem, in other Romance languages such as Catalan or French, the descendants of the Latin res survived as polarity items (Catalan res, French rien), although with different degrees of grammaticalization.

Investigating the Dynamics of Suicidal Ideation

Crisis ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Hallensleben ◽  
Lena Spangenberg ◽  
Thomas Forkmann ◽  
Dajana Rath ◽  
Ulrich Hegerl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Unipolar Depression ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
History Of ◽  
Severity Of Depression ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Depressive Episodes ◽  
Ema Method ◽  
Shed Light

Abstract. Background: Although the fluctuating nature of suicidal ideation (SI) has been described previously, longitudinal studies investigating the dynamics of SI are scarce. Aim: To demonstrate the fluctuation of SI across 6 days and up to 60 measurement points using smartphone-based ecological momentary assessments (EMA). Method: Twenty inpatients with unipolar depression and current and/or lifetime suicidal ideation rated their momentary SI 10 times per day over a 6-day period. Mean squared successive difference (MSSD) was calculated as a measure of variability. Correlations of MSSD with severity of depression, number of previous depressive episodes, and history of suicidal behavior were examined. Results: Individual trajectories of SI are shown to illustrate fluctuation. MSSD values ranged from 0.2 to 21.7. No significant correlations of MSSD with several clinical parameters were found, but there are hints of associations between fluctuation of SI and severity of depression and suicidality. Limitations: Main limitation of this study is the small sample size leading to low power and probably missing potential effects. Further research with larger samples is necessary to shed light on the dynamics of SI. Conclusion: The results illustrate the dynamic nature and the diversity of trajectories of SI across 6 days in psychiatric inpatients with unipolar depression. Prediction of the fluctuation of SI might be of high clinical relevance. Further research using EMA and sophisticated analyses with larger samples is necessary to shed light on the dynamics of SI.

Editorial Introduction

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Editors of the JIOWS
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Western Indian Ocean ◽  
Late Nineteenth Century ◽  
Fourth Volume ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Indian Ocean ◽  
Complex Relationships ◽  
Indian Ocean World ◽  
Shed Light

The editors are proud to present the first issue of the fourth volume of the Journal of Indian Ocean World Studies. This issue contains three articles, by James Francis Warren (Murdoch University), Kelsey McFaul (University of California, Santa Cruz), and Marek Pawelczak (University of Warsaw), respectively. Warren’s and McFaul’s articles take different approaches to the growing body of work that discusses pirates in the Indian Ocean World, past and present. Warren’s article is historical, exploring the life and times of Julano Taupan in the nineteenth-century Philippines. He invites us to question the meaning of the word ‘pirate’ and the several ways in which Taupan’s life has been interpreted by different European colonists and by anti-colonial movements from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day. McFaul’s article, meanwhile, takes a literary approach to discuss the much more recent phenomenon of Somali Piracy, which reached its apex in the last decade. Its contribution is to analyse the works of authors based in the region, challenging paradigms that have mostly been developed from analysis of works written in the West. Finally, Pawelczak’s article is a legal history of British jurisdiction in mid-late nineteenth-century Zanzibar. It examines one of the facets that underpinned European influence in the western Indian Ocean World before the establishment of colonial rule. In sum, this issue uses two key threads to shed light on the complex relationships between European and other Western powers and the Indian Ocean World.

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