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SUMMARY:Scalar Particles as Alternative-Sensitive Expressions - Malte Zimm
 ermann\, University of Potsdam
DTSTART:20150305T170000Z
DTEND:20150305T183000Z
UID:TALK54380@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Jamie Douglas
DESCRIPTION:In this talk\, I propose an analysis of scalar particles (‘e
 ven’) as alternative-sensitive expressions: such expressions can associa
 te not only with FOC(us) alternatives\, but also with C(ontrastive)T(opic)
  alternatives\, when present. I start off by pointing out some differences
  between exclusive (‘only’) and scalar(additive) particles\, which rai
 se problems for the classical restrictive view of scalar and additive part
 icles as run-off-the-mill focus-sensitive expressions (Jackendoff 1972\, J
 acobs 1983\, Rooth 1985\, Beaver & Clark 2008). Next\, I present a case st
 udy of adverbial ‘even’ in English\, which shows that the semantic int
 erpretation of this particle is sensitive to both FOC- and CT-information\
 , albeit in different ways. I also show how the less restricted semantic b
 ehavior of alternative-sensitive ‘even’ can be accounted for by genera
 lizing the analysis of FOC-‘even’ in Kay (1990). I then present additi
 onal empirical evidence from a variety of non-Indoeuropean languages\, inc
 luding Bura (Central Chadic)\, Ngamo (West Chadic)\, Nłeʔkepmxcin (Salis
 h)\, and Vietnamese\, which supports the claim that the semantic associati
 on behavior of scalar(-additives) expressions differs from that of exclusi
 ves in being not sensitive to FOC alone. I conclude with a discussion of s
 ome implications of these findings for Wagner’s (2012) recent re-analysi
 s of CTs as indicating a sequence of hierarchically stacked focus operator
 s.
LOCATION:Lecture Block\, Room 5\, Sidgwick Site
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