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Degree modification in natural language
Descriptive
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Title
Degree modification in natural language
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Rett
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Jessica
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Jessica Rett
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Schwarzschild
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Roger
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Advisory Committee
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Roger Schwarzschild
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Mark
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Mark C Baker
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Dayal
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Veneeta
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Veneeta Dayal
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Kratzer
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Angelika
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Advisory Committee
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Angelika Kratzer
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Rutgers University
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degree grantor
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Graduate School - New Brunswick
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theses
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2008
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2008-10
Language
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English
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electronic
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Extent
vi, 229 pages
Abstract
This dissertation is a study of the roles played by degree modifiers -- functions from sets of degrees to sets of degrees -- across different constructions and languages. The immediate goal of such a project is a better understanding of the distribution of these morphemes and how they contribute to the meaning of an expression.
More broadly, a study of the semantics of degree modifiers is of interest because it helps demonstrate parallels between the degree and individual domains.
Chapter 1 introduces the assumptions made and practices followed in the dissertation. Chapter 2 presents a first study of degree modification: 'm-words,' a term I use to refer to 'many', 'much', 'few', 'little', and their cross-linguistic counterparts. I argue that they are functions from a set of degrees to its measure. This characterization is based on accounts of m-words as differentials in comparatives; I extend it to other occurrences of m-words, e.g. as they occur pre-nominally and in quantity questions in Balkan languages.
Chapter 3 broadens the study of degree modifiers to the semantic property 'evaluativity'. A construction is evaluative if it refers to a degree that exceeds a standard, as in 'John is tall'. I argue that evaluativity is encoded in the null degree modifier 'EVAL,' a function from a set of degrees to those which exceed a contextually-valued standard. Evidence for this approach is the occurrence of evaluativity in expressions with and without degree quantifiers (pace 'POS' approaches). I extend the account to a wide variety of evaluative and non-evaluative constructions.
Chapter 4 begins as an extension of Chapter 3: it is a study of exclamatives (like 'Boy, how very tall John is!'), which seem to be evaluative. Addressing this issue, I argue, requires characterizing the content of exclamatives as degree properties. In the end, such an account suggests that the scope of degree modification extends beyond canonical degree constructions.
More broadly, a study of the semantics of degree modifiers is of interest because it helps demonstrate parallels between the degree and individual domains.
Chapter 1 introduces the assumptions made and practices followed in the dissertation. Chapter 2 presents a first study of degree modification: 'm-words,' a term I use to refer to 'many', 'much', 'few', 'little', and their cross-linguistic counterparts. I argue that they are functions from a set of degrees to its measure. This characterization is based on accounts of m-words as differentials in comparatives; I extend it to other occurrences of m-words, e.g. as they occur pre-nominally and in quantity questions in Balkan languages.
Chapter 3 broadens the study of degree modifiers to the semantic property 'evaluativity'. A construction is evaluative if it refers to a degree that exceeds a standard, as in 'John is tall'. I argue that evaluativity is encoded in the null degree modifier 'EVAL,' a function from a set of degrees to those which exceed a contextually-valued standard. Evidence for this approach is the occurrence of evaluativity in expressions with and without degree quantifiers (pace 'POS' approaches). I extend the account to a wide variety of evaluative and non-evaluative constructions.
Chapter 4 begins as an extension of Chapter 3: it is a study of exclamatives (like 'Boy, how very tall John is!'), which seem to be evaluative. Addressing this issue, I argue, requires characterizing the content of exclamatives as degree properties. In the end, such an account suggests that the scope of degree modification extends beyond canonical degree constructions.
Note
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Ph.D.
Note
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Includes bibliographical references (p. 210-228).
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Topic
Linguistics
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Grammar, Comparative and general--Syntax
Subject
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Semantics
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Graduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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rucore19991600001
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http://hdl.rutgers.edu/1782.2/rucore10001600001.ETD.17550
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doi:10.7282/T3WH2Q8C
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ETD doctoral
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Rights
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Open
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Jessica Rett
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Rutgers University. Graduate School - New Brunswick
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Author Agreement License
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I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.
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