52 research outputs found
Discourse semantics with information structure
The property of projection poses a challenge to formal semantic theories, due to its apparent non-compositional nature. Projected content is therefore typically analyzed as being different from and independent of asserted content. Recent evidence, however, suggests that these types of content in fact closely interact, thereby calling for a more integrated analysis that captures their similarities, while respecting their differences. Here, we propose such a unified, compositional semantic analysis of asserted and projected content. Our analysis captures the similarities and differences between presuppositions, anaphora, conventional implicatures and assertions on the basis of their information structure, that is, on basis of how their content is contributed to the unfolding discourse context. We formalize our analysis in an extension of the dynamic semantic framework of Discourse Representation Theory (DRT)—called Projective DRT (PDRT)—that employs projection variables to capture the information-structural aspects of semantic content; different constellations of such variables capture the differences between the different types of projected and asserted content within a single dimension of meaning. We formally derive the structural and compositional properties of PDRT, as well as its semantic interpretation. By instantiating PDRT as a mature semantic formalism, we argue that it paves way for a more focused investigation of the information-structural aspects of meaning
Contextual predictability and the prosodic realisation of focus: a cross-linguistic comparison
Living Anionic Polymerization in Continuous Flow: Facilitated Synthesis of High-Molecular Weight Poly(2-vinylpyridine) and Polystyrene
Variation in the prosody of focus in head- and head/edge-prominence languages<strong>.</strong>
Enlarging the Toolbox: Epoxide Termination of Polyferrocenylsilane (PFS) as a Key Step for the Synthesis of Amphiphilic PFS–Polyether Block Copolymers
- …