The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals Yu Izumi University of Maryland Department of Philosophy
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Introduction
Topic
• proper names • other bare nominals
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Introduction
Topic • proper names
- Mary, Jean Dujardin, Hyattsville • other bare nominals
- gold, water, cats, stars - Japanese noun phrases neko (‘cat’)
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Introduction
Bare Nominals • ‘bare’ in argument position
(1) Romeo loves Juliet (2) Cats are cute. (3) Gold is rare. (4) I like gold.
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Introduction
Goal • to develop a unified approach to the semantics
of all bare nominals.
proper names mass terms bare plurals articleless noun phrases
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Introduction
Main Claims
1. Bare nominals themselves are predicates. 2. Bare nominals in argument position are definite descriptions.
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Three Views of Names
Competing Views about Names i. Traditional Descriptivist view ii. Millian view iii. Predicate view
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Three Views of Names
Traditional Descriptivism quantificational
nonquantificational
every cat some king the queen of England
that cat this king she here
Mary Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Three Views of Names
Millianism quantificational
nonquantificational
every cat some king the queen of England
that cat this king she here Mary
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Three Views of Names
Predicate view grammatical markers
content words
-ed, can, if, and, every, some, the, this, that, she
run, arrive, red, soft, cow, book, Mary
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Three Views of Names
Predicate view • predicate + environment
contribution
(1) Every cat is cute.
(quantificational)
(2) This cat is cute.
(object-denoting)
(3) A cat has a tail.
(generic quant.)
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Three Views of Names
Predicate view semantic contribution ⇑ linguistic environment/closed-class expression + proper name
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Three Views of Names
Quantificational Use (1) Every cat is cute. (2) Every Alfred I know studied in Princeton. (3) There are relatively few cats in my neighborhood. (4) There are relatively few Alfreds in Princeton. (Burge, 1973)
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Three Views of Names
Donkey Anaphoric Use (1) Every farmer who bought a donkeyi vaccinated the donkeyi. (2) Every woman who has a husband called John and a loveri called Gerontius takes only Gerontiusi to the Rare Names Convention. (Elbourne, 2005)
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Three Views of Names
Generic Use (1) Neko-wa sakana-o taberu koto -ga ooi cat-top fish-acc eat comp -nom many ‘It’s common that cats eat fish.’ (2) Saito-wa Tohoku-syusin dearu koto -ga ooi Saito-top Tohoku-birthplace be comp -nom many ‘It’s common that a Saito is from the Tohoku area.’ (Japanese) Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Three Views of Names
Singular Use (1) Obama frowned.
DP ø
Obama
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
frowned Predicate
27 Mar 2012
Three Views of Names
Singular Use (1) Obama frowned.
DP ø
Obama
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
frowned ← definite description 27 Mar 2012
Definite Descriptions
Situation Semantic Analysis of Definite Descriptions • Extending possible world semantics • Kratzer (1989), Heim (1990), Elbourne
(2005), Schwarz (2009) ‣ Expressively strong theory of d.d.
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Definite Descriptions
Definite Descriptions • incomplete descriptions • de re/dicto distinction • donkey anaphoric (bound) use
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Definite Descriptions
Definite Descriptions (1) The dog bit the man. (2) The US president could be a female. (3) Every farmer who bought a donkey vaccinated the donkey.
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Overview
Overview (proper names)
Predicate View
+
Situationist Analysis of Definite Descriptions
➡ Right Results:
rigidity, referential use, donkey anaphoric use Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Overview
Generalizing to other bare nominals (1) Dinosaurs are extinct. (2) Gold is rare. (3) This ring is gold. (4) Papillons are small dogs.
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Overview
Generalizing to other bare nominals
DP ømass/pl
dinosaurs
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
are extinct Predicate
27 Mar 2012
Overview
Generalizing to other bare nominals
DP ømass/pl
are extinct
dinosaurs ← definite description
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Overview
Overview (generalized)
Predicate View
+
realistic analysis of definite descriptions
➡ properties of bare nominals
in different positions Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Situation Semantics
Singular Use (1) Yu arrived.
arrived!e,!s,t""
!e"
s1 !s"
ø
Yu!e,!s,t""
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Situation Semantics
Singular Use (1) Yu arrived.
arrived!e,!s,t""
!e"
s1 !s"
object-denoting d.d. ø
Yu!e,!s,t""
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Situation Semantics
Singular Use (1) Yu arrived.
arrived!e,!s,t""
!e"
s1 !s"
ø
Yu!e,!s,t""
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
Metalinguistic predicate
27 Mar 2012
Situation Semantics
Singular Use (1) Yu arrived.
situation pronoun s1 !s"
arrived!e,!s,t""
!e"
ø
Yu!e,!s,t""
definiteness determiner
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Situation Semantics
arrived!e,!s,t""
!e"
s1 !s"
ø
Yu!e,!s,t""
situation
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Situation Semantics
arrived!e,!s,t""
!e"
s1 !s"
ø
Yu!e,!s,t""
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Situation Semantics
arrived!e,!s,t""
!e"
s1 !s"
ø
Yu!e,!s,t""
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Situation Semantics
rigidity w1: 〚 yu 〛= me 〚 s1 〛=
w@ ∈
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
me
27 Mar 2012
Summary
Summary 1. Bare nominals themselves are predicates.
proper names mass terms bare plurals articleless noun phrases
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Summary
Summary 2. Bare nominals in argument position are definite descriptions.
DP ø
Obama
DP
frowned
ømass/pl
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
are extinct
dinosaurs
27 Mar 2012
Situation Semantics
Varieties of Definiteness Operations λF : ∃!x(F x) . x(F x)
iota (uniqueness) Partee 1986
λF : ∃x(F x ∧ ∀y(F y → y % x)) . µx(F x)
iotam (maximality) =〚 the 〛
λF : ∃!x(F x) ∧ F is metalinguistic . x(F x)
=〚 øι 〛 Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals Yu Izumi University of Maryland Department of Philosophy
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Some extra slides
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Extra
Definiteness Operation ! ø " = λF . λs : ∃!x(F (x)(s)) . x(F (x)(s))
the unique blue thing in situation s s
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Extra
Aggregates Snoopy, Odie (atomic individuals); Snoopy+Odie (Aggregate) Snoopy ≺ Snoopy+Odie =df ‘S is a member-component of S+O’ Snoopy's tail ⊀ Snoopy+Odie (an aggregate is Not amereological fusion) Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Extra
Aggregates ‣ Plural/mass Ns are number-neutral predicates true of aggregates (Sauerland, 2003) 〚 dogs 〛= {Snoopy, Odie, Snoopy+Odie, Snoopy+Odie+Fido, ...}
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Extra
Aggregates 〚 øm/pl 〛 = λF〈e,〈s,t〉〉 . λs : ∀s'(s ⊑ s' → s = s') ∧ ∃x(F(x)(s) ∧ ∀y(F(y)(s) → y ⊑ x)) ∧ ∃z(Pl(z) ∧ F(z)(s)) . ιx(F(x)(s))
Resource situation is a whole world F is a non-atomic pred; z is a non-atomic F
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Extra
Aggregates Result: Unrestricted space Definite Description 〚 s12 [ øm/pl cats ] 〛= cat₁+cat₂+cat₃+...+cat₂₀₀₀+...
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
cats time
27 Mar 2012
Extra
Identity of Aggregates 〚 a is (identical to) b 〛= [∀x:x ≺ a][∃y:y ≺ b](x = y) ∧ [∀w:w ≺ b][∃z:z ≺ a](w = z) Ag(a) ∧ Ag(b) → (a = b ≡ ∀x(x≺a ≡ x≺b)) Burge (1977) Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Extra
Identity of Aggregates
pure water
is
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
H2O
27 Mar 2012
Extra
Aggregates 〚 extinct 〛= λx: I(x) . λs. ∀y(y ≺ x → DEAD(y)(s)) x is an aggregate whose members share some property and no non-member has the property (1) The Slytherin family was extinct in the male line. (3) #Three dinosaurs are extinct.
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Extra
Aggregates Atomic individuals are their own unique member-components At(x) → (x≺x ∧ ∀y(y≺x → y = x)) Burge (1977)
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Extra
weak crossover (1) Every farmer who owns a donkeyi likes it/the donkeyi. (2) Every knight who courted a ladyi was visited by her/the ladyʼsi mother.
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Extra
weak crossover (1) *Itsi former owner envies every farmer who owns a donkeyi. (2) *Heri mother visited every knight who courted a ladyi. (3) *The donkeyʼsi former owner envies every farmer who owns a donkeyi. (4) *The ladyʼsi mother visited every knight who courted a ladyi. Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Extra
weak crossover (1) *Hisi mother gave hisi picture to every studenti . (2) Hisi mother gave every studenti hisi picture. (3) *Hisi mother introduced every boyi to Mary. (4) Hisi mother introduced every boyi to hisi teacher. Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Extra
weak crossover (1) *The studentʼsi mother gave hisi picture to every studenti . (2) The studentʼsi mother gave every studenti hisi picture. (3) *The boyʼsi mother introduced every boyi to Mary. (4) The boyʼsi mother introduced every boyi to hisi teacher. Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
Extra
empty names (1) The fountain of youth is a legendary spring that restores the youth of anyone who drinks of its waters. (Wiki) (2) Hamlet is a prince of Denmark. (3) Pegasus is a winged white horse.
Izumi The Semantics of Proper Names and other Bare Nominals
27 Mar 2012
