Indefinites in Comparatives

Open Access
Authors
Publication date 2011
Journal Proceedings from Semantics and Linguistic Theory
Event Semantics and Linguistic Theory 21 (SALT 21)
Volume | Issue number 21
Pages (from-to) 19-38
Organisations
  • Interfacultary Research - Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC)
Abstract 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.
Document type Article
Note Proceedings of the 21st Semantics and Linguistic Theory Conference, held at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, May 20 - May 22, 2011, edited by Neil Ashton, Anca Chereches, and David Lutz.
Language English
Published at https://doi.org/10.3765/salt.v21i0.2602
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2602-2871-1-PB (Final published version)
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