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The Meaning of More Alexis Wellwood (Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Linguistics, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Linguistics, University of Southern California)

The Meaning of More By Alexis Wellwood (Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Linguistics, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Linguistics, University of Southern California)

Summary

This book examines the semantics of comparative constructions using words such as more, as, too, and so on, and proposes a new account that rejects a fundamental assumption of the degree semantics framework. The findings have implications not only for semantics but also for language acquisition and cognitive science more broadly.

The Meaning of More Summary

The Meaning of More by Alexis Wellwood (Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Linguistics, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Linguistics, University of Southern California)

This book reimagines the compositional semantics of comparative sentences using words such as more, as, too, and others. The book's central thesis entails a rejection of a fundamental assumption of degree semantic frameworks: that gradable adjectives like tall lexicalize functions from individuals to degrees, i.e., measure functions. Alexis Wellwood argues that comparative expressions in English themselves introducemeasure functions; this is the case whether that morphology targets adjectives, as intaller or more intelligent; nouns, as in more coffee, more coffees; verbs, such as run more, jump more; or expressions of other categories. Furthermore, she suggests that expressions that comfortably and meaningfully appear in the comparative form should be distinguished from those that do not in terms of a general notion of measurability: a measurable predicate has a domain of application with non-trivial structure. This notion unifies the independently motivated distinctions between, for example, gradable and non-gradable adjectives, mass and count nouns, singular and plural noun phrases, and telic and atelic verb phrases. Based on careful examination of the distribution of dimensions for comparison within the class of measurable predicates, she ties the selection of measure functions to the specific nature and structure of the domain entities targeted for measurement. The book ultimately explores how, precisely, we should understand semantic theories that invoke the nature of domain entities: does the theory depend for its explanation on features of metaphysical reality, or something else? Such questions are especially pertinent in light of a growing body of research in cognitive science exploring the understanding and acquisition of comparative sentences.

About Alexis Wellwood (Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Linguistics, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Linguistics, University of Southern California)

Alexis Wellwood is Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Linguistics at the University of Southern California, as well as the creative force behind the USC School of Philosophy's Meaning Lab. Her research and teaching focuses on the nature of linguistic meaning, in particular the interplay between morphosyntactic structure and nonlinguistic cognition in determining meaning. This research has been influential in linguistic semantics, language acquisition, philosophy of language, cognitive psychology, and computer science.

Table of Contents

1: Introduction 2: Measurement and degrees 3: Measuring stuff and process 4: Measuring states 5: Measuring pluralities 6: Measuring occasions 7: Measuring accuracy 8: The limiting theory 9: Beyond semantics References Index

Additional information

NLS9780198804666
9780198804666
0198804660
The Meaning of More by Alexis Wellwood (Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Linguistics, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Linguistics, University of Southern California)
New
Paperback
Oxford University Press
2019-10-01
230
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
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