2009 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Formal Semantic Studies of "Degrees" and "Differences"
| Project/Area Number |
19520353
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
|
| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
|---|
| Section | 一般 |
|---|
| Research Field |
Linguistics
|
|---|
| Research Institution | University of the Ryukyus |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
KURAFUJI Takeo University of the Ryukyus, 法学部, 教授 (60305175)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2007 – 2009
|
| Keywords | 比較構文 / 程度表現 / 動的意味論 / 差の比較 |
|---|
| Research Abstract |
This research project investigated the semantics of degree expressions such as comparative constructions and the out-prefix sentence in English, and (tentatively) concluded the following. (1) Positive extents and differences are both regarded as sets of points on a scale, so that they are in the same semantic type, but they are different in sorts, and therefore cannot co-occur. Negative extents can be regarded as the same sort of differences in that they are defined as a difference between the whole scale and a positive extent. If so, negative extents are not independent sorts in the ontology of degrees. (2) It is widely assumed that truth conditions of comparative sentences like A is taller than B are represented as tall(A)>tall(B), but as far as the Japanese comparative construction is concerned, they should be represented as $d[d=tall(A)-tall(B)], in which the existential quantifier binds the degree variable. Given that Japanese yori/izyooni 'than'-clauses have anaphoric degree variables, the compositional relation between the matrix and the subordinate 'than'-clauses can be captured by dynamic binding.
|
