January 27, 2006: Satoshi Ito, Single-Pair Answers and Pair-List Answers in Wh-Questions with Singular Wh

[Japanese | English]

Time:
4:30pm, January 27, 2006
Place:
Collaboration Room 3, 4th floor, Building 18, University of Tokyo Komaba campus.
Speaker:
Satoshi Ito, University of Tokyo
Title:
Single-Pair Answers and Pair-List Answers in Wh-Questions with Singular Wh
Abstract:
In this talk, I discuss single-pair answers and pair-list answers in multiple/single wh-questions with singular wh-expressions, DOTIRA, in Japanese. While single DOTIRA-questions permit only single-answers, multiple DOTIRA-questions permit not only single-pair answers but also pair-list answers. The question is why multiple DOTIRA-questions permit list-answers, contrary to single DOTIRA-questions, and how we can calculate both kinds of answers compositionally. I propose that two kinds of answers differ because of the existence of two kinds of Complementizer Head. Taking what contexts make it felicitous to ask those kinds of wh-questions into consideration, I consider which answer (i.e., single-pair answer/pair-list answer) is felicitous in what situations.

Semantics Research Group
Sponsored by the Center for Evolutionary Cognitive Sciences at the University of Tokyo


Last modified: 2006-01-25 16:14:07 JST