Multidimensional semantics of evaluative adverbs / Mingya Liu.

• Author: Liu, Mingya.
• Year of Publication: 2012
• Language: English
• Series: Current Research in the Semantics / Pragmatics Interface 26.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (228 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

Multidimensional Semantics of Evaluative Adverbs provides a multidimensional analysis for the lexical semantics of evaluative adverbs: nonfactive evaluative adverbs trigger a conventional implicature, whereas factive evaluative adverbs not only trigger a conventional implicature but also a conventional presupposition. This analysis proves to be more advantageous than existing analysis in terms of empirical coverage and explanatory power. With the case of evaluative adverbs, the book demonstrates how secondary meanings (e.g. conventional presuppositions, conventional implicatures) interact with primary meanings (i.e. main assertion, or at-issue content). For the first time, a three-dimensional formal language of conventional implicatures and conventional presuppositions is implemented and applied to derive the right truth conditions of sentences with evaluative adverbs and predict their projection behaviors. With a cross-linguistic perspective (focusing on German, English and Mandarin Chinese) and using corpus- and psycholinguistic methods, the book also offers new perspectives on the syntax/semantics/pragmatics of adverbials.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material -- Introduction -- Evaluative Adverbs, Conventional Presuppositions and Conventional Implicatures -- A Logic for Conventional Presuppositions and Conventional Implicatures -- The Positive Polarity of EADVs -- The Subjective Meaning of EADVs -- Conclusion, Problems and Outlook -- References -- Appendix.