September 22, 2011: Mats Rooth

Time:: 4:30pm, September 22, 2011
Place:: National Institute of Informatics (National Center of Sciences Bldg.),
20th floor, Seminar Room 1 (2006)
Speaker:: Mats Rooth (Cornell University)
Title:: A Recursive Phonology Interface for WH-F Alternative Semantics
Abstract:: This talk presents a framework that synthesizes the following hypotheses. (i) There is an isomorphy between the phonological and semantic scopes of focus. (ii) In situ WH phrases in Japanese-type languages are literally focused. (iii) The semantics for WH-questions and ordinary intonational focus are covered by a single system of semantic values involving alternatives. The key idea is to link closely the projection of alternatives in alternative semantics, and the phonological interpretation of focus.

Semantics Research Group Meeting, September 22, 2011