Context dependence and procedural meaning : the semantics of definites
This thesis argues that there is a theoretically interesting connection between members of the intuitive category of context-dependent expressions, including ~we~, ~tall~, ~local~, ~every man~, ~the woman~, ~it~, ~those donkeys~ and so on. A treatment of the linguistic meaning of these expressions will be proposed based on the idea that their use raises issues for the audience about the proper understanding of the utterances in which they occur. The proposal will be developed in terms of a semantics for questions, which draws on the idea that to know the meaning of a question is to know what would count as an answer. It can be summarised along similar lines: to know the meaning of a context-dependent expression is to know what properties or relations (of the appropriate type) it could be used to express. The framework in which this idea will be developed can account for why the expressions that are given this issue-based treatment can also be given dependent, bound readings. The class of definite expressions, including descriptions and pronouns, is analysed in detail. A quantificational approach, where the determiner is existential, is assumed for all forms of definiteness. In all cases, the restrictor is
Breheny, Richard
Expressions
Context dependence and procedural meaning : the semantics of definites. This thesis argues that there is a theoretically interesting connection between members of the intuitive category of context-dependent expressions, including ~we~, ~tall~, ~local~, ~every man~, ~the woman~, ~it~, ~those donkeys~ and so on. A treatment of the linguistic meaning of these expressions will be proposed based on the idea that their use raises issues for the audience about the proper understanding of the utterances in which they occur. The proposal will be developed in terms of a semantics for questions, which draws on the idea that to know the meaning of a question is to know what would count as an answer. It can be summarised along similar lines: to know the meaning of a context-dependent expression is to know what properties or relations (of the appropriate type) it could be used to express. The framework in which this idea will be developed can account for why the expressions that are given this issue-based treatment can also be given dependent, bound readings. The class of definite expressions, including descriptions and pronouns, is analysed in detail. A quantificational approach, where the determiner is existential, is assumed for all forms of definiteness. In all cases, the restrictor is
context dependence procedural meaning semantics argues theoretically interest connection member intuitive category context_dependent expression include local every man the woman treatment linguistic_meaning expression propose base_idea use raise_issue audience proper utterance_occur proposal develop term semantics question draw idea know mean question know would count answer summarise along similar line know mean context_dependent expression know property_relation appropriate type could_use express framework idea develop_account expression give issue based treatment also_give dependent bound reading class definite expression include_description pronoun analyse_detail determiner existential assume form definiteness case