Semantics of Perspectival Utterances

Perspectival utterances are analyzed within Situation Semantics framework. Perspectival expressions are expressions speakers use when they describe facts from certain standpoints within their environments. Uses of perspectival expressions have two significant characteristics, bi-directional contextual dependency, and perspectivity transfer. Relational conception of meaning and mental states central in situation semantics is shown to be particularly useful in explicating perspectivity phenomena. A model is then presented which (1) attributes perspectivity to agents ' mental states, (2) introduces the notion of point of view parameter in mental states, and (3) incorporates a general picture of linguistic communication. The model is shown to capture correctly our intuitions behind the uses of perspectival expressions.