Course Description
An introduction to the formal analysis of sentential meaning, from a linguist's perspective. After first isolating a truth-conditional notion of literal meaning, we will use techniques from logic to describe how the meanings of sentences are built from those of their parts.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
In addition to the reading and exercises that will be required
of all students, graduate students will be required to pursue
and report on supplementary theoretical literature from primary
sources in an area of interest.
Athena Title
Compositional Semantics
Undergraduate Prerequisite
[(LING 3150 or LING 3150W) and (PHIL 2500 and PHIL 2500H and PHIL 2500E)] or permission of department
Graduate Prerequisite
LING 8150 and permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course will introduce students to compositional formal semantics from a linguist's perspective. This means applying the techniques of logic to describe how the meanings of sentences are built from the meanings of their parts. We will first distinguish different sorts of semantic indeterminacy, (generality, vagueness, and ambiguity), and different sorts of implication (implicature, presupposition, and entailment). This will deliver a core of conventional meaning that is amenable to truth-conditional analysis, using Frege's idea that predicates are functions to truth values, and the more recent idea that quantifiers are second-order relations. We will then approach at least one of two advanced topics: either intensionality (truth-conditional dependence on multiple contexts of evaluation), or aspect (the temporal properties of verb meanings). Students will have substantial practice with formal modeling, and will acquire analytical tools that are central to contemporary formal linguistics.
Topical Outline
1) Meaning and truth 2) Ambiguity, generality, and vagueness 3) Implicature, presupposition, and entailment 4) Logic and set theory 5) Truth functions and their arguments 6) Generalized quantifiers 7) Intensionality and modal logic 8) Temporal properties of verb meanings
Syllabus