A pragmatic explanation of dou -support Mingming Liu Tsinghua - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

A pragmatic explanation of dou -support Mingming Liu Tsinghua University CLSW 2020 1

Where we are The puzzle and a solution Mei-NPs are quantificational Non-quantificational dou Obligatory presuppositions A more nuanced characterization of obligatory-dou 2

Mandarin universal quantifiers and dou -support ◮ Mandarin, universally quantified DPs in preverbal positions need the support of dou , which is usually glossed as ‘all’ in this environment. (1) a. Mei.ge/Suoyou san.nianji xuesheng ∗ (dou) lai.le. Obligatory- dou every/all third.grade student dou come “Every/all third-grade student(s) came.” b. Every/all third-grade student(s) ( ∗ all) came. No additional all ◮ This is puzzling, since if mei / suoyou -NPs are universal quantifiers like English every/all -NPs, it is unclear why an additional all is required (or even possible) 3

An influential solution: Lin (1998); Zhang & Pan (2019) ◮ Mandarin mei -NPs are referential, synonymous with the -NPs. � (2) a. � mei.ge san.nianji xuesheng � = third.grade.student b. � mei � = � � mei.ge san.nianji xuesheng � c 1 = � zhexie san.nianji xuesheng � c 1 c. = zs ⊕ ls ⊕ ww 4

An influential solution: Lin (1998); Zhang & Pan (2019) ◮ Mandarin mei -NPs are referential, synonymous with the -NPs. � (2) a. � mei.ge san.nianji xuesheng � = third.grade.student b. � mei � = � � mei.ge san.nianji xuesheng � c 1 = � zhexie san.nianji xuesheng � c 1 c. = zs ⊕ ls ⊕ ww ◮ Dou is a distributivity operator, similar to English each . (3) � dou Lin � = λPλx ∀ y [ y ≤ atom x → P ( y )] (cf. Link (1987) D operator) (4) Zhangsan he Lisi dou hua.le liang.fu hua. ( dou forces dist-reading) Zhangsan and Lisi dou draw. asp two. cl pictures “Zhangsan and Lisi each drew two pictures.” 4

An influential solution: Lin (1998); Zhang & Pan (2019) ◮ Mandarin mei -NPs are referential, synonymous with the -NPs. � (2) a. � mei.ge san.nianji xuesheng � = third.grade.student b. � mei � = � � mei.ge san.nianji xuesheng � c 1 = � zhexie san.nianji xuesheng � c 1 c. = zs ⊕ ls ⊕ ww ◮ Dou is a distributivity operator, similar to English each . (3) � dou Lin � = λPλx ∀ y [ y ≤ atom x → P ( y )] (cf. Link (1987) D operator) (4) Zhangsan he Lisi dou hua.le liang.fu hua. ( dou forces dist-reading) Zhangsan and Lisi dou draw. asp two. cl pictures “Zhangsan and Lisi each drew two pictures.” ◮ Mei -NP requires dou in order to express a quantificational meaning ◮ Compositionally, ∀ y [ y ≤ atom � third.grade.student → came ( y )] ≡ ∀ y [ third.grade.student ( y ) → came ( y )] ◮ Lin decomposes ∀ -statement: ≈ maximization + distributivity 4

Problems Many have followed Lin (1998) in taking dou to be some sort of universal quantifier; but there are problems. ◮ Conceptually, assigning mei -NP a (plural) definite semantics does not really explain why it needs dou -support: cf. the students came . 5

Problems Many have followed Lin (1998) in taking dou to be some sort of universal quantifier; but there are problems. ◮ Conceptually, assigning mei -NP a (plural) definite semantics does not really explain why it needs dou -support: cf. the students came . ◮ Empirically, there is evidence that mei -NPs are genuine distributive universal quantifiers. 5

Problems Many have followed Lin (1998) in taking dou to be some sort of universal quantifier; but there are problems. ◮ Conceptually, assigning mei -NP a (plural) definite semantics does not really explain why it needs dou -support: cf. the students came . ◮ Empirically, there is evidence that mei -NPs are genuine distributive universal quantifiers. ◮ Explaining dou -support as a syntactic-semantic requirement of mei -NPs is both too strong and too weak. ◮ Too strong: many mei -NPs in preverbal positions do not need (or even cannot have) dou (Huang, 1996; Chen & Liu, 2019; Liu, 2019). ◮ Too weak: the phenomenon of obligatory- dou goes beyond mei -NPs: if the context is right, conjunction of proper names also requires dou . Crucially, Dou -support is sensitive to discourse contexts. A pragmatic story. 5

Where we are The puzzle and a solution Mei-NPs are quantificational Non-quantificational dou Obligatory presuppositions A more nuanced characterization of obligatory-dou 6

Two types of facts ◮ mei -NPs without dou are very different from plural definites without dou . ◮ mei -NPs with dou are very different from plural definites with dou . Post-verbal mei -NP’s cannot have dou (an adverb that associates to its lef). 7

Mei -NPs without dou : Non-homogeneous and maximal Mei -NPs without dou under ¬ retain their ∀ , while Plural definites under ¬ are ∃ . (5) Non-homogeneous a. Wo meiyou ba zhe.jian.shi gaosu mei.yi.ge san.nianji xuesheng. I not ba this.thing tell every third.grade student “I didn’t tell this to every third-grade student.” ¬ > ∀ b. Wo meiyou ba zhe.jian.shi gaosu zhe.xie san.nianji xuesheng. I not ba this.thing tell these third.grade student “I didn’t tell this to these third-grade students.” ≈ I didn’t tell this to any of these third-grade students. ¬ > ∃ 8

Mei -NPs without dou : Non-homogeneous and maximal Mei -NPs without dou under ¬ retain their ∀ , while Plural definites under ¬ are ∃ . (5) Non-homogeneous a. Wo meiyou ba zhe.jian.shi gaosu mei.yi.ge san.nianji xuesheng. I not ba this.thing tell every third.grade student “I didn’t tell this to every third-grade student.” ¬ > ∀ b. Wo meiyou ba zhe.jian.shi gaosu zhe.xie san.nianji xuesheng. I not ba this.thing tell these third.grade student “I didn’t tell this to these third-grade students.” ≈ I didn’t tell this to any of these third-grade students. ¬ > ∃ (6) Maximal a. Lisi qing.le mei.yi.ge san.nianji xuesheng. Lisi invite. asp every third.grade student “Lisi invited every third-grade student.” (Maximal only) b. Lisi qing.le zhe.xie san.nianji xuesheng. Lisi invite. asp these third.grade student “Lisi invited these third-grade students.” (Non-maximal allowed) Mei -NPs do not exhibit homogeneity and non-maximality, two well-known properties of plural definties across many languages, and they always retain their maximal universal quantificational force, in both positive and negative contexts. 8

Mei -NPs without dou : Q-sensitive expressions (7) Q-sensitive expressions a. I invited {every boy/#the boys} but John. b. I invited almost {every boy/#the boys}. 9

Mei -NPs without dou : Q-sensitive expressions (7) Q-sensitive expressions a. I invited {every boy/#the boys} but John. b. I invited almost {every boy/#the boys}. (8) Mei -NPs without dou are compatible with Q-sensitive expressions a. Chule Lisi, wo qing.le mei.ge san.nianji xuesheng. Except Lisi, I invite. asp every third.grade student “I invited every third-grade student but Lisi.” b. Lisi jihu qing.le mei.ge san.nianji xuesheng. Lisi almost invite. asp every third.grade student “Lisi invited almost every third-grade student.” 9

Mei -NPs without dou : Q-sensitive expressions (7) Q-sensitive expressions a. I invited {every boy/#the boys} but John. b. I invited almost {every boy/#the boys}. (8) Mei -NPs without dou are compatible with Q-sensitive expressions a. Chule Lisi, wo qing.le mei.ge san.nianji xuesheng. Except Lisi, I invite. asp every third.grade student “I invited every third-grade student but Lisi.” b. Lisi jihu qing.le mei.ge san.nianji xuesheng. Lisi almost invite. asp every third.grade student “Lisi invited almost every third-grade student.” (9) Plural definites without dou are incompatible with Q-sensitive expressions a. # Chule Lisi, wo qing.le zhe.xie san.nianji xuesheng. Except Lisi, I invite. asp these third.grade student “#I invited these third-grade students but Lisi.” b. # Lisi jihu qing.le zhe.xie san.nianji xuesheng. Lisi almost invite. asp these third.grade student “#Lisi invited almost these third-grade student(s).” 9

Mei -NPs without dou : Q-sensitive expressions (7) Q-sensitive expressions a. I invited {every boy/#the boys} but John. b. I invited almost {every boy/#the boys}. (8) Mei -NPs without dou are compatible with Q-sensitive expressions a. Chule Lisi, wo qing.le mei.ge san.nianji xuesheng. Except Lisi, I invite. asp every third.grade student “I invited every third-grade student but Lisi.” b. Lisi jihu qing.le mei.ge san.nianji xuesheng. Lisi almost invite. asp every third.grade student “Lisi invited almost every third-grade student.” (9) Plural definites without dou are incompatible with Q-sensitive expressions a. # Chule Lisi, wo qing.le zhe.xie san.nianji xuesheng. Except Lisi, I invite. asp these third.grade student “#I invited these third-grade students but Lisi.” b. # Lisi jihu qing.le zhe.xie san.nianji xuesheng. Lisi almost invite. asp these third.grade student “#Lisi invited almost these third-grade student(s).” ◮ Mei -NP without dou still behaves like English every (quantificational). 9