scholarly journals Indefinites and free choice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Degano ◽  
Maria Aloni
Keyword(s):  
Free Choice ◽  
Historical Linguistics ◽  
Formal Semantics ◽  
Alternative Semantics ◽  
Current Usage ◽  
Diachronic Study ◽  
Grammatical Theories ◽  
Indefinite Pronouns

AbstractIndefinites display a great functional variety and they give rise to different pragmatic effects. We focus on free choice indefinites and in particular on the Italian qualsiasi. Our aim is to reconstruct the grammaticalization path of this item and understand how diachronic data might shed some light on existing semantic theories of free choice. We employ corpus-based tools to build a database containing occurrences of qualsiasi from its origin and early forms to its current usage. We show that qualsiasi emerged from a particular unconditional construction and we outline the different stages which led to its grammaticalization. We analyze the compatibility of our diachronic study with formal accounts of free choice inferences, with a focus on Alternative Semantics analyses for indefinite pronouns and so-called grammatical theories of free choice. Our work shows that an integration between formal semantics and historical linguistics is fruitful and worth pursuing.

scholarly journals Saamelaiskielten indefiniittipronominien jäljillä

2021 ◽  
pp. 104-127
Author(s):  
Markus Juutinen ◽  
Jukka Mettovaara
Keyword(s):  
Free Choice ◽  
Open Class ◽  
Indefinite Pronouns

We provide an overview of indefinite pronouns in Saami languages that have been borrowed or calqued from Finnic, Scandinavian or Russian. We define indefinite pronouns in the traditional way, i.e. encompassing all pronouns not belonging to any other pronoun class. The treatment of Saami indefinite pronouns in earlier literature varies, but generally they haven’t received as much attention as other pronouns. From Finnic sources, Saami languages have borrowed e.g. pronouns harva ‘few’, joku ‘some(one)’, kaikki ‘all’, moni ‘many’ and muu ‘other’ as well as pronominal elements ikänänsä ‘-ever’, saati ‘let alone’ and vaikka ‘even (if)’. Loans from Scandinavian include e.g. mange ‘many’, noen ~ någon ‘some’ and same ~ samma ‘same’. Russian loans include pronominal elements ни- ‘not (even)’ хоть ‘even (if)’. Indefinite pronouns in Saami prove to be rather an open class, and elements with similar meanings have been borrowed time after time. The variation is especially abundant in pronouns of indifference and free choice. Most of the pronouns in our data have been noted as loans before, but there are some unnoticed cases. Especially these warrant further study.

scholarly journals Indefinites in Comparatives

2015 ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Maria Daria Aloni ◽  
Floris Roelofsen
Keyword(s):  
Free Choice ◽  
Alternative Semantics

The goal of this paper is to explain the meaning and distribution of indefinites in comparatives, focusing on the case of English 'some' and 'any' and German 'irgend'-indefinites. We combine three competing theories of comparatives with an alternative semantics of 'some' and 'any', and a novel account of stressed 'irgend'-indefinites. One of the resulting theories, based on Heim's (2006) analysis of comparatives, predicts all the relevant differences in quantificational force, and explains why free choice indefinites are licensed in comparatives.

scholarly journals Diachronic Study of Phonological Changes in Tiv Language

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Terfa Aor ◽  
Torkuma Tyonande Damkor
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
Language Change ◽  
Historical Linguistics ◽  
Sound Change ◽  
Language Analysis ◽  
Sound Changes ◽  
Diachronic Study ◽  
Language Growth ◽  
Observation Method ◽  
Phonological Change

All levels of language analysis are prone to changes in their phonology, morphology, graphology, lexis, semantics and syntax over the years. Tiv language is not an exception to this claim. This study investigates various aspects of phonological or sound changes in Tiv language. This paper therefore classifies sound changes in Tiv; states causes of sound changes in Tiv and explores implications of sound changes. The research design used in this paper is purposive sampling of relevant data. The instrument used in this paper is the observation method in which the author selected words that showed epenthesis, deletion and substitution. It has been noted that the use of archaic spellings in the Modern Tiv literatures shows their ancientness. Phonological change is not a deviation but a sign of language growth and changes in spellings result in changes in sounds. The author recommends that scholars should write papers or critical works on lexical/morphological, syntactic, semantic, graphological changes in Tiv language. Students should write projects, dissertations and theses on language change and diachronic linguistics. This study introduces Tiv historical linguistics and diachronic phonology which serve as catalysts for the study of Tiv language. The understanding of Tiv sound change provides students with a much better understanding of Tiv phonological system in general, of how Tiv phonology works and how the phonemes fit together

scholarly journals On Vendler’s freedom of choice

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. e460
Author(s):  
Ana Clara Polakof
Keyword(s):  
Free Choice ◽  
Speech Act ◽  
Speech Act Theory ◽  
Alternative Semantics ◽  
Freedom Of Choice ◽  
Proper Understanding ◽  
Existential Import ◽  
The One ◽  
Short Essay

In this short essay, we will provide some contemporary remarks to Vendler (1962 and 1974). We will propose that his characterization of the Free Choice Item any can be properly explained if we take into account an alternative semantics framework. We will assume with Menéndez-Benito (2010) that it is a universal indeterminate pronoun, and with Aloni (2007) that it involves an exhaustification operator to explain its behavior. We will show that, if we take into account this approach, we will be able to explain what Vendler called freedom of choice, lack of existential import, lawlike propositions, among other characteristics. In addition, we will try to do some linguistics in philosophy, and try to explain how a proper understanding of FCI may help to better understand some reference related problems. Finally, we will show that if we take into account a speech act theory, as the one proposed by Searle (1985), we may account for some of the FCI particular behavior with regard to free choice.

Form and Meaning of (Indefinite) Pronouns

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olaf Koeneman ◽  
Hedde Zeijlstra
Keyword(s):  
Free Choice ◽  
Negative Polarity ◽  
Natural Languages ◽  
Morphological Form ◽  
Polarity Items ◽  
Semantic Function ◽  
Morphological Differences ◽  
Negative Indefinites ◽  
Semantic Properties ◽  
Indefinite Pronouns

The relation between the morphological form of a pronoun and its semantic function is not always transparent, and syncretism abounds in natural languages. In a language like English, for instance, three types of indefinite pronouns can be identified, often grouped in series: the some-series, the any-series, and the no-series. However, this does not mean that there are also three semantic functions for indefinite pronouns. Haspelmath (1997), in fact distinguishes nine functions. Closer inspection shows that these nine functions must be reduced to four main functions of indefinites, each with a number of subfunctions: (i) Negative Polarity Items; (ii) Free-Choice Items; (iii) negative indefinites; and (iv) positive or existential indefinites. These functions and subfunctions can be morphologically realized differently across languages, but don’t have to. In English, functions (i) and (ii), unlike (iii) and (iv), may morphologically group together, both expressed by the any-series. Where morphological correspondences between the kinds of functions that indefinites may express call for a classification, such classifications turn out to be semantically well motivated too. Similar observations can be made for definite pronouns, where it turns out that various functions, such as the first person inclusive/exclusive distinction or dual number, are sometimes, but not always morphologically distinguished, showing that these may be subfunctions of higher, more general functions. The question as to how to demarcate the landscape of indefinite and definite pronouns thus does not depend on semantic differences alone: Morphological differences are at least as much telling. The interplay between morphological and semantic properties can provide serious answers to how to define indefinites and the various forms and functions that these may take on.

scholarly journals The negation of cualquier NP

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Ana Clara Polakof
Keyword(s):  
Free Choice ◽  
Subject Position ◽  
Universal Quantifier ◽  
Alternative Semantics ◽  
Freedom Of Choice ◽  
Object Position ◽  
Original Proposal ◽  
Syntactic Approach ◽  
The Subject

Even though the interpretation of Free Choice Items such as any has been on debate for more than 50 years (Vendler, 1974, Dayal, 1998, Horn, 2000, etc.), it is relatively more recent in Spanish (Menéndez-Benito, 2005, Giannakidou and Quer, 2013, among others). Some have analyzed it as a universal quantifier, neither taking its free choiceness into account nor contexts which seem to be problematic for the universal account (see, for instance, Etxepare and Uribe-Etxebarria, 2011). In this article, we defend that cualquier is a universal indeterminate pronoun which involves freedom of choice (as in the original proposal by Vendler, 1974). We will take into account data (taken from https://www.corpusdelespanol.org/web-dial) which has not been properly considered. We will analyze the interaction of negation and cualquier in Rioplantese Spanish in the subject position of negative generic statements, in the object position in negative episodic statements, and in a non argumental position. We will combine an alternative semantics approach to the analysis of the FCI cualquier, inspired in Menéndez-Benito (2010) and Aloni (2019), with a syntactic approach to negation inspired in Etxepare and Uribe-Etxebarria (2011).  

scholarly journals The development of the Imperfect in Ancient Greek from simple past to imperfective as a blocking phenomenon

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-150
Author(s):  
Ian Hollenbaugh
Keyword(s):  
Historical Linguistics ◽  
Formal Semantics ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Past Tense ◽  
Semantic Change ◽  
Ancient Greek ◽  
The Past ◽  
Semantics And Pragmatics ◽  
Pragmatic Account

Abstract This article seeks to combine the viewpoints of formal semantics and pragmatics, typology, historical linguistics, and philology, in order to give a diachronic overview of the semantic and pragmatic changes observable for the Imperfect indicative within the recorded history Greek. Since its development does not adhere to typologically expected stages of semantic change, I provide a pragmatic account by taking into consideration not only the Imperfect but also the rest of the past-tense system of Greek, namely the Aorist and Perfect. With this holistic approach, I am able to motivate a development that is otherwise typologically anomalous.

scholarly journals A DIACHRONIC STUDY OF THE NP STRUCTURE IN GHANAIAN NEWSPAPER EDITORIALS

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 555-565
Author(s):  
Isaac Afful
Keyword(s):  
Print Media ◽  
Historical Linguistics ◽  
Gradual Increase ◽  
Media Discourse ◽  
Diachronic Study ◽  
Newspaper Editorials

In the last few decades, researchers have grown much interest in analyzing the structure of the NP in various domains. Dwelling on Quirk et als (1985) framework on NP complexities, this study investigates the NP structure in editorials form the Daily Graphic. Being a diachronic study, nine editorials form 1988, 1998 and 2008 were analysed. The analysis and discussion point to two key findings. First, there has been a gradual increase in the use of Head + PP structures in Ghanaian newspaper editorials. Second, the Determiner+Head has been the most preferred structure of premodification in editorials. These findings have implications for print media discourse, Historical linguistics and for further research.

The Grammaticalization of Indefinite Pronouns

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Haspelmath
Keyword(s):  
Free Choice ◽  
Choice Functions ◽  
Change Over Time ◽  
Universal Quantifiers ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Indefinite Pronouns

This chapter discusses the grammaticalization of indefinite pronouns, focusing on the ways in which such pronouns arise and change over time in different languages and the regularities in these changes. It first considers diachronic typology before describing four main source constructions for indefiniteness markers: the ‘dunno’ type, the ‘want/pleases’ type, the ‘it may be’ type, and the ‘no matter’ type. It then examines the six parameters of grammaticalization, three of which are paradigmatic (integrity, paradigmaticity, paradigmatic variability) and three are syntagmatic (scope, bondedness, syntagmatic variability). It also looks at desemanticization, with particular emphasis on three competing theories of semantic grammaticalization, before concluding with an overview of the indefinites that express the free-choice functions and their use as true universal quantifiers.

Introduction

2019 ◽  
pp. 3-21
Author(s):  
A. M. Devine ◽  
Laurence D. Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Word Order ◽  
Formal Semantics ◽  
Alternative Semantics ◽  
Semantics And Pragmatics ◽  
Theoretical Issues ◽  
Free Word

This chapter discusses theoretical issues related to the application of formal semantics and pragmatics to Latin syntax. Various approaches to the semantics of free word order are reviewed and their suitability for the Latin evidence evaluated. Different frameworks used in formal pragmatics are also presented, and it is argued that for Latin the Structured Meanings theory is more suitable than the Alternative Semantics theory.

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