Cover not available

In:Weak Referentiality
Edited by Ana Aguilar-Guevara, Bert Le Bruyn and Joost Zwarts
[Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today 219] 2014
► pp. 17–44

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload Book PDF
authorization required

Modal inferences in marked indefinites

the case of German irgend-indefinites

Published online: 3 December 2014
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.219.02alo
In this paper, we first present the results of a synchronic corpus study of the determiner irgendein and the pronoun irgend jemand in German and identify four main uses: ignorance effect in specific uses (spU), ignorance effect under epistemic modals (epiU), narrow-scope existential meaning in �negative� contexts (NPu), free choice effect under deontic modals (deoFC). Then we sketch a formal account in the framework of a Dynamic Semantics with Conceptual Covers along the lines of Aloni and Port (2011) and Aloni (2012). This enables us (i) to derive the obligatory ignorance effect irgend-indefinites induce in specific uses and under epistemic modals, (ii) to account for the NPu and deoFC uses, and (iii) to explain the different behavior of the indefinite under different modals.
References (31)
References
Aguilar-Guevara, A., Aloni, M., Port, A., Šimík, R., de Vos, M. & Zeijlstra, H. 2011. Semantics and pragmatics of indefinites: Methodology for a synchronic and diachronic corpus study. In Proceedings of the DGfS Workshop ‘Beyond Semantics: corpus-based investigations of pragmatic and discourse phenomena’ [Bochumer Linguistische Arbeitsberichte 3], Stefanie Dipper & Heinke Zinsmeister (eds). Bochum: Ruhr Universität Bochum.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Aguilar-Guevara, A., Aloni, M., de Jager, T., Port, A., Šimík, R., Solt, S. & de Vos, M. 2012. A corpus of indefinite uses annotated with semantic functions: Documentation. Technical report, University of Amsterdam.
Aloni, M. 2001. Quantification under Conceptual Covers. PhD dissertation, University of Amsterdam.
. 2007a. Expressing ignorance or indifference. Modal implicatures in BiOT. In Proceedings of the Sixth International Tbilisi Symposium on Language, Logic and Computation, B. ten Cate & H. Zeevat (eds), 1–20. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2007b. Free choice, modals and imperatives. Natural Language Semantics 15: 65–94. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2012. On epistemic indefinites: A note on emphatic free choice uses. In Proceedings of Sinn und Bedeutung 16. Utrecht: Utrecht University.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Aloni, M. & Franke, M. 2013. On the free choice potential of epistemic and deontic modals. In From Grammar to Meaning: The Spontaneous Logicality of Language, I. Caponigro & C. Cecchetto (eds). Cambridge: CUP.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Aloni, M. & Port, A. 2011. Epistemic indefinites crosslinguistically. In Proceedings of NELS 41, Y. Fainleib, N. LaCara & Y. Park (eds). Amherst MA: GLSA.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Aloni, M. & van Rooij, R. 2007. Free choice items and alternatives. In Proceeding of the KNAW Academy Colloquium: Cognitive Foundations of Interpretation, G. Bouma, I. Kraemer & J. Zwarts (eds), 5–26. Amsterdam: Edita KNAW.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Aloni, M., van Cranenburgh, A., Fernandez, R. & Sznajder, M. 2012. Building a corpus of indefinite uses annotated with fine-grained semantic functions. In Proceedings of LREC 12, Istanbul, Turkey.
Alonso-Ovalle, L. & Menéndez-Benito, P. 2010. Modal indefinites. Natural Language Semantics 18: 1–31. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Beck, S. 2010. Quantifiers in than-clauses. Semantics and Pragmatics 3: 1–72. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Chierchia, G. 2013. Logic in Grammar.Oxford University Press.
Dayal, V. 1998. Any as inherently modal. Linguistics and Philosophy 21: 433–476. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Fălăuş, A. 2009. Polarity Items and Dependent Indefinites in Romanian. PhD dissertation, University of Nantes.
Gajewski, J. 2008. More on quantifiers in comparative clauses. In Proceedings of Semantics and Linguistic Theory XVIII, T. Friedman & S. Ito (eds), 340–357. Ithaca NY: Cornell University.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Giannakidou, A. 2001. The meaning of free choice. Linguistics and Philosophy 24: 659–735. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Giannakidou, A. & Quer, J. 2013. Exhaustive and non-exhaustine variation with anti-specific indefinites. Lingua 26: 120–149.
Haspelmath, M. 1997. Indefinite Pronouns. Oxford: OUP.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Heim, I. 2006. Remarks on comparative clauses as generalized quantifiers. Ms.
Horn, L.R. 2005. Airport ’68 revisited: Toward a unified indefinite any . In The Partee Effect, G.N. Carlson & F.J. Pelletier (eds), 179–205. Stanford CA: CSLI.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Jayez, J. & Tovena, L. 2006. Epistemic determiners. Journal of Semantics 23: 217–250. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kadmon, N. & Landman, F. 1993. Any. Linguistics and Philosophy 16: 353 – 422. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kratzer, A. & Shimoyama, J. 2002. Indeterminate pronouns: The view from Japanese. In The Proceedings of the Third Tokyo Conference on Psycholinguistics, Y. Otsu (ed.), 1–25, Tokyo: Hituzi Syobo.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lauer, S. 2010. Some news on irgendein and algún . Talk given at the workshop ‘Epistemic Indefinites’, University of Goettingen.
Menéndez-Benito, P. 2005. The Grammar of Choice. PhD dissertation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Seuren, P. 1978. The structure and selection of positive and negative gradable adjectives. In Papers from the Parasession on the Lexicon, Chicago Linguistic Society, April 14-15, D. Farkas, W.M. Jacobsen & K.W. Todrys (eds) Chicago IL: CLS.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Veltman, F. 1996. Defaults in update semantics. Journal of Philosophical Logic 25: 221–261. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Von Fintel, K. 1999. NPI-Licensing, Strawson-Entailment, and Context-Dependency. Journal of Semantics 16: 97–148. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Zamparelli, R. 2007. On singular existential quantifiers in Italian. In Existence: Semantics and Syntax, ed.I. Comorovski and K. von Heusinger, 293–328. Springer.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Zwarts, F. 1998. Three types of polarity. In Plurality and quantification, F. Hamm & E. Hinrichs (eds), 177–238. Kluwer: Dordrecht. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cited by (2)

Cited by two other publications

Erlewine, Michael Yoshitaka
2025. Toba Batak manang . Studies in Language 49:2 ► pp. 478 ff. DOI logo
Van der Auwera, Johan
2024. Any and its ‘free choice’. Kalbotyra 77 ► pp. 7 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 22 november 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue