Comparison with indeterminateness: a multidimensional approach
نویسنده
چکیده
Introduction: In Japanese the meaning of free choice is expressed by indeterminate pronouns and the particle mo in comparative environments, as shown in (1). (Note: normally, the meaning of free choice is expressed by indeterminate pronouns plus demo, but demo cannot appear in comparative environments). (1a) and (1b) are different in word order, but semantically, they both have what I call the ‘individual reading.’ However, if the indeterminate pronoun nani ‘what’ is used in the same environment, there can be at most two different interpretations, as shown in (2). Although (2a) and (2b) both have the ‘individual’ reading, (2b) also has what I call the ‘noteworthy’ (NW) reading. In this reading, the proposition ‘tennis is interesting’ is compared with alternative propositions in terms of ‘noteworthiness’ and is construed as the most noteworthy. It is not impossible to read (2a) the noteworthy way, but in that case, we must treat nani-yori-mo as ‘parenthetical’ (Potts 2005). This paper investigates the semantics and pragmatics of the two types of nani-yori-mo and argues that the meaning of comparison with indeterminateness can be calculated in the domain of conventional implicature (CI) as well as in the domain of ‘at issue’ semantics.
منابع مشابه
Indeterminateness in Qualitative and Quantitative Reasoning
A central issue of expert systems is the man-machine-interface. One of its most ergonomic real-izations is a natural language interface. Uncertainty and indeterminateness are main properties of natural language. While there are many formalisms dealing with uncertainty, there still is a strong need of those modeling indeterminateness. Therefore a formalism is presented which (a) formalizes the s...
متن کاملKaraoke in Costa Rica: A Multidimensional Approach to Study Abroad
This case study was conducted to determine the benefits of a multi-dimensional study abroad program that included a community service component. It encompassed the following aspects of the study abroad experience: motivation for travel, language learning research, the role of autonomy in language learning, and cultural awareness, behaviors, and attitudes. The researcher acted as a participant a...
متن کاملEvaluating Poverty Indicators among Government-Supported Households: A Multidimensional Approach
Introduction: Poverty is an undesirable socio-economic phenomenon that endangers the political stability, social solidarity, and mental health of the different sections of society. The literature on poverty in recent years has not been limited to income poverty, but also to other aspects such as health, education, and living standards. By identifying patterns of poverty, instead of prejudging t...
متن کاملA Multidimensional Approach to Measuring Poverty and the Assessment of Educational Poverty in Iran
A Multidimensional Approach to Measuring Poverty and the Assessment of Educational Poverty in Iran1 E. Aboonoori, Ph.D. * A.A. Saalem, Ph.D. ** J. Arab Yaarmohammadi *** A multidimensional approach to measuring poverty facilitates the assessment of educational poverty as one of its several dimensions. Utilizing this approach, the overall poverty in Iran in the years of 2005 ...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
عنوان ژورنال:
دوره شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2008