Between Intersective and 'Split' Interpretations of Predicate Conjunction: The Role of Typicality
Eva B. Poortman · Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) · 2014
This paper aims to account for the different interpretations of plural sentences with conjoined predicates. Such sentences are somc:times ~terpreted strictly intersectively, sometimes strictly non-mtersectively (or 'split'), and sometimes both ~terpreta~ons appear to be allowed We propose that the logical mtt:rJ>~tion of these sentences is systematically affected by typicality effects of the complex predicate in the sentence. We show with a set of experiments that a) the acceptability of a nonintersective interpretation can be expressed in terms of a continuum and b) each acceptability proportion is predicted by the typicality of the two conjoined predicates applying simultaneously. This way, we specify at least one of the relevant pragmatic considerations that determine the interpretation of a plural sentence with conjunctive predicates. Moreover, these results stress the importance of conceptual structure of predicates for compositional semantics.