Presupposition and the Delimitation of Semantics

Presupposition and the Delimitation of Semantics PDF Author: Ruth M. Kempson
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521207331
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
In this book, first published in 1975, Dr Kempson argues that previous work on presupposition - whether in philosophy or linguistics - has been mistakenly based on a conflation of two different disciplines: semantics, the study of the meanings assigned to the formal system which constitutes a language, and pragmatics, the study of the use of that system in communication. The first part of the book deals generally with the nature of semantics in linguistic theory and its formal representation within a transformational grammar; Dr Kempson argues against incorporating the relation of presupposition within such a grammar. The second part provides a pragmatic account of the foundations of a theory of communication and its detailed application to the problems raised by presupposition. The book is intended for those studying both philosophy and linguistics and also for those sociolinguists and psychologists with a more general interest in the theory of communication.

Presupposition and the Delimitation of Semantics

Presupposition and the Delimitation of Semantics PDF Author: Ruth M. Kempson
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521207331
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 260

Get Book Here

Book Description
In this book, first published in 1975, Dr Kempson argues that previous work on presupposition - whether in philosophy or linguistics - has been mistakenly based on a conflation of two different disciplines: semantics, the study of the meanings assigned to the formal system which constitutes a language, and pragmatics, the study of the use of that system in communication. The first part of the book deals generally with the nature of semantics in linguistic theory and its formal representation within a transformational grammar; Dr Kempson argues against incorporating the relation of presupposition within such a grammar. The second part provides a pragmatic account of the foundations of a theory of communication and its detailed application to the problems raised by presupposition. The book is intended for those studying both philosophy and linguistics and also for those sociolinguists and psychologists with a more general interest in the theory of communication.

Presupposition and the Delimitations of Semantics

Presupposition and the Delimitations of Semantics PDF Author: Ruth M. Kempson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 235

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Book Description


Presupposition and the Delimitation of Semantics

Presupposition and the Delimitation of Semantics PDF Author: Ruth M. Kempson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Semantics (Philosophy)
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The thesis is divided into three sections. In the first, I present the general theoretical framework within which the arguments of the thesis are considered. This framework contains an interpretive semantic component (in the sense of Katz 1966a, 1972, Bierwisch 1969, 1971) and the formalism assumed is that of Bierwisch. I argue however that this formalism in effect constitutes a statement of the necessary and sufficient truth conditions on the sentences of a language and that this is the correct basis for natural-language semantics. This hypothesis appears to be threatened by the concept of presupposition. In the second section, I therefore discuss two separate concepts of presupposition and consider the issues both raise for natural-language semantics. In brief, I argue (chapter 4) that to incorporate a concept of presupposition defined in terms of speakers' belief has consequences which necessitate its exclusion by fiat from a formal linguistic theory. Furthermore I argue (chapters 4-5) that a logically defined concept of presupposition refers to an empty set of sentences, since every postulated presupposition is in fact an example of an entailment relation. So I conclude that neither definition of presupposition should be part of natural-language semantics. Accordingly the semantic framework set up in the first part remains at present unfalsified. However in addition to such a semantics, in the final section I set up a theory of pragmatics (along lines suggested by Grice, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1969) to explain those aspects of sentences which are not captured by a truth-conditional (but non-presuppositional) semantics. In over-all terms, my aim is two-fold: (i) to justify in some detail the formal properties of an interpretive semantic component (based on a non-presuppositional logic); and (ii) to suggest a tentative specification of a pragmatic theory as part of some more general theory of performance.

The Limits to Debate

The Limits to Debate PDF Author: Noel Burton-Roberts
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521101936
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Exponents and critics of semantic presupposition have almost invariably based their discussion on the ('Standard') definition of presupposition implied by Frege and Strawson. In this study Noel Burton-Roberts argues convincingly against this definition, that leads it to a three-valued semantics. He presents a very simple semantic definition which is weaker, more general and leads to a semantics more easily interpreted as two-valued with gaps. The author shows that a wide range of intuitive facts that eluded the Standard definition follow directly from this ('Revised') definition itself: facts about the presuppositions of compound sentences and modal sentences, about presuppositional conflict and about differences in the logical status of simple sentences suffering from presupposition failure. The book includes a detailed argument that an ambiguity of natural language negation, generally assumed to be necessary to the defence of semantic presupposition, is neither possible nor necessary in a presuppositional semantics. Noel Burton-Roberts has made an authoritative contribution to a debate which has involved philosophers and linguists for many years. His command of the issues, his clarity of exposition and his theoretical insight may well serve to change the boundaries of that debate.

Presupposition and Implicature in Compositional Semantics

Presupposition and Implicature in Compositional Semantics PDF Author: U. Sauerland
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0230210759
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 295

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Book Description
All humans can interpret sentences of their native language quickly and without effort. Working from the perspective of generative grammar, the contributors to this volume investigate three mental mechanisms, widely assumed to underlie this ability: compositional semantics, implicature computation and presupposition computation.

Presuppositions and Discourse

Presuppositions and Discourse PDF Author: Rainer Bäuerle
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 1849507821
Category : Context (Linguistics)
Languages : en
Pages : 298

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Book Description
Undoubtedly, presupposition theory is a major chapter in the success story of dynamic semantics. This book features papers on this topic based on a conference on "Presupposition" convened in Stuttgart in October 2000.

Context and Presupposition

Context and Presupposition PDF Author: Rob A. van der Sandt
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 282

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Book Description
This book, which has been written for linguists and philosophers working in the field of semantics, deals with presupposition and its dependence on context.

The Oxford Handbook of Negation

The Oxford Handbook of Negation PDF Author: Viviane Déprez
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0198830521
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 889

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Book Description
In this volume, international experts in negation provide a comprehensive overview of cross-linguistic and philosophical research in the field, as well as accounts of more recent results from experimental linguistics, psycholinguistics, and neuroscience. The volume adopts an interdisciplinary approach to a range of fundamental questions ranging from why negation displays so many distinct linguistic forms to how prosody and gesture participate in the interpretation of negative utterances. Following an introduction from the editors, the chapters are arranged in eight parts that explore, respectively, the fundamentals of negation; issues in syntax; the syntax-semantics interface; semantics and pragmatics; negative dependencies; synchronic and diachronic variation; the emergence and acquisition of negation; and experimental investigations of negation. The volume will be an essential reference for students and researchers across a wide range of disciplines, and will facilitate further interdisciplinary work in the field.

Semantic Theory

Semantic Theory PDF Author: Ruth M. Kempson
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521292092
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
An introduction to the central topics of linguistic semantics and the philosophy of language, assuming no special knowledge of philosophy or logic.

Linguistics Meets Philosophy

Linguistics Meets Philosophy PDF Author: Daniel Altshuler
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108804535
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 609

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Book Description
Linguistics and philosophy, while being two closely-related fields, are often approached with very different methodologies and frameworks. Bringing together a team of interdisciplinary scholars, this pioneering book provides examples of how conversations between the two disciplines can lead to exciting developments in both fields, from both a historical and a current perspective. It identifies a number of key phenomena at the cutting edge of research within both fields, such as reporting and ascribing, describing and referring, narrating and structuring, locating in time and space, typologizing and ontologizing, determining and questioning, arguing and rejecting, and implying and (pre-)supposing. Each chapter takes on a phenomena and explores it through a set of questions which are posed and answered at the outset of each chapter. An accessible and engaging resource, it is essential reading for researchers and students in both disciplines, and will empower exciting and illuminating conversations for years to come.