Computer Science Colloquium, 2003-2004
Ron Artstein
Department of Computer Science,
Technion
November 26th, 2003
Quantificational arguments in temporal adjunct clauses
This talk concerns a peculiarity of temporal clauses (e.g. after
John resigned), which allow quantificational expressions like
each executive to interact with expressions outside
the clause. Sentence (1) below is true if a different secretary cries
for each executive; such an interpretation is not possible for
sentence (2), where the subordinate clause is not temporal.
- After each executive resigns, a secretary cries.
- If each executive resigns, a secretary cries.
I use a logical language with explicit temporal variables, in which
temporal modifiers form generalized quantifiers (proposed by Pratt and
Francez 2001, Linguistics and Philosophy, to account for nested
temporal modifiers as in
John drank before each meeting during most conferences). A
flexible architecture for the semantics permits the formation of a
temporal generalized quantifier in the dependent clause before
the application of a quantificational argument, giving the argument scope
outside its clause. The semantics derives three kinds of readings for
temporal clauses: dependent-time, where the evaluation times of
the main clause depend on a quantifier inside the temporal clause;
single-time, where the main clause is evaluated at a single
time regardless of quantifiers in the temporal clause; and
aggregate-time, where the main clause is evaluated in an
interval which encompasses the individual times quantified over by the
temporal clause. The semantics can be extended to deal with
long-distance temporal dependencies (I saw Mary in New York before
she claimed that she would arrive) as well as with locative
clauses (A tree grows where each car had crashed).
Shuly Wintner
Last modified: Mon Nov 17 12:05:15 IST 2003