Quantificational variability effect
In this article, we will explore the fascinating world of Quantificational variability effect and everything that this concept encompasses. From its origins to its relevance today, we will delve into key aspects that will allow us to thoroughly understand Quantificational variability effect and its impact in different areas. Through a thorough analysis and critical perspective, we will discover the importance of Quantificational variability effect in our current society and how it has evolved over time. From its implications in popular culture to its influence on the global economy, Quantificational variability effect is a topic that deserves to be explored in depth to understand its scope and relevance in today's world.
Quantificational variability effect (QVE) is the intuitive equivalence of certain sentences with quantificational adverbs (Q-adverbs) and sentences without these, but with quantificational determiner phrases (DP) in argument position instead.
- 1. (a) A cat is usually smart. (Q-adverb)
- 1. (b) Most cats are smart. (DP)
- 2. (a) A dog is always smart. (Q-adverb)
- 2. (b) All dogs are smart. (DP)[1]
Analysis of QVE is widely cited as entering the literature with David Lewis' "Adverbs of Quantification" (1975), where he proposes QVE as a solution to Peter Geach's donkey sentence (1962). Terminology, and comprehensive analysis, is normally attributed to Stephen Berman's "Situation-Based Semantics for Adverbs of Quantification" (1987).
See also
Notes
- ^ Adapted from Endriss and Hinterwimmer (2005).
Literature
- Core texts
- Berman, Stephen. The Semantics of Open Sentences. PhD thesis. University of Massachusetts Amherst, 1991.
- Berman, Stephen. 'An Analysis of Quantifier Variability in Indirect Questions'. In MIT Working Papers in Linguistics 11. Edited by Phil Branigan and others. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1989. Pages 1–16.
- Berman, Stephen. 'Situation-Based Semantics for Adverbs of Quantification'. In University of Massachusetts Occasional Papers 12. Edited by J. Blevins and Anne Vainikka. Graduate Linguistic Student Association (GLSA), University of Massachusetts Amherst, 1987. Pages 45–68.
- Select bibliography
External links
- Core text
- Lewis, David. 'Adverbs of Quantification'. In Formal Semantics of Natural Language. Edited by Edward L Keenan. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1975. Pages 3–15.
- Other texts available online
- Endriss, Cornelia and Stefan Hinterwimmer. 'The Non-Uniformity of Quantificational Variability Effects: A Comparison of Singular Indefinites, Bare Plurals and Plural Definites'. Belgian Journal of Linguistics 19 (2005): 93–120.
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