Unembedded definite descriptions and relevance
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Title: | Unembedded definite descriptions and relevance |
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Authors: | Stainton, Robert |
Keywords: | Teoría de la relevancia | Lógica proposicional | Forma lógica | Descripción definida | Pragmática |
Issue Date: | Nov-1998 |
Publisher: | Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Filología Inglesa |
Citation: | STAINTON, Robert. “Unembedded definite descriptions and relevance”. Revista alicantina de estudios ingleses. No. 11 (Nov. 1998). ISSN 0214-4808, pp. 231-239 |
Abstract: | Definite descriptions (e.g. 'The king of France in 1997', 'The teacher of Aristotle') do not stand for particulars. Or so I will assume. The semantic alternative has seemed to be that descriptions only have meaning within sentences: i.e., that their semantic contribution is given syncategorimatically. This doesn't seem right, however, because descriptions can be used and understood outside the context of any sentence. Nor is this use simply a matter of "ellipsis." Since descriptions do not denote particulars, but seem to have a meaning in isolation, I propose that they be assigned generalized quantifiers as denotations — i.e. a kind of function, from sets/properties to propositions. I then defend the pragmatic plausibility of this proposal, using Relevance Theory. Specifically, I argue that, even taken as standing for generalized quantifiers, descriptions could still be used and understood in interpersonal communication. |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/10045/5377 | http://dx.doi.org/10.14198/raei.1998.11.17 |
ISSN: | 0214-4808 |
DOI: | 10.14198/raei.1998.11.17 |
Language: | eng |
Type: | info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
Appears in Collections: | Revista Alicantina de Estudios Ingleses - 1998, No. 11 |
Files in This Item:
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RAEI_11_17.pdf | 524,49 kB | Adobe PDF | Open Preview | |
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