existence: semantics and syntax - Institut für Linguistik/Germanistik ...

TOWARDS ADYNAMIC ACCOUNT OF BE IN ENGLISH 29
Tn(n), ?Ty(e) ↦→ Tn(n),Ty(e),Fo(U), ?∃x.Fo(x)
〈L −1 〉Tn(n), ?Ty(t)
Ty(e),Fo(U)
?Ty(e → t), ♦
Figure 8. Parsing The
their clearest application in the characterisation of relative clauses. They may, however,
also be used to model definites and their associated presuppositions.
The definite article, like a pronoun, is analysed as projecting a metavariable, 25
but additionally induces the construction of a propositional structure linked to the
node so decorated. The propositional tree is partially constructed with a copy of the
metavariable in the first argument position and a requirement to find a predicate. 26
The effect of parsing the is shown in Figure 8 where the LINK modality is indicated
by the thick black arrow. The appropriate set of actions is given in (21) which uses
the modal operators 〈L〉 and 〈L −1 〉 to signify the LINK relation and its inverse. 27
(21) the
IF
THEN
ELSE
?Ty(e)
put(Ty(e), Fo(U), ?∃x.Fo(x))
make(〈L〉); go(〈L〉); put(?Ty(t))
make(〈↓ 0 〉); go(〈↑ 0 〉); put(Ty(e), Fo(U));
go(〈↑ 0 〉); make(〈↓ 1 〉); go(〈↓ 1 〉); put(?Ty(e → t)))
ABORT
Kempson et al. (2001) utilise a type cn for common nouns and not a predicate
type. This is necessary in the system (for reasons to do with the introduction of
fresh variables into the nominal structure), but obscures the fact that common nouns
express properties like verbs, even though their syntax is very different. To account
for the common properties I take common nouns to be parsable in common noun
(?Ty(cn)) and predicate (?Ty(e → t)) contexts. The parse of a definite expression
like the fool proceeds as illustrated in Figure 9 with the definite providing a LINK
structure.
As noted above, SUBSTITUTION is a pragmatic, system-external process that
substitutes an appropriate Formula value for a metavariable from the context, so
satisfying the requirement to find such a value. However, substitution (or any other
construction rule) may not intervene in the course of tree transitions induced by the
25 A reflection of its diachronic development from a demonstrative pronoun.
26 I omit the mechanism needed to restrict the predicates to common nouns for simplicity.
27 For more details of the LINK mechanism and its interpretation see Kempson et al. 2001: ch. 4,
Kempson 2003, Cann et al. 2005b: ch. 4.