Probability in Semantics
Ariel Cohen · Language and Linguistics Compass · 2008
Abstract In truth‐conditional theories of the semantics of natural language, the main tool used is logic. There are, however, cases where a probabilistic account is attractive. The role of probability can vary from complementing a truth‐conditional account to replacing it. In this article, I discuss three test cases of the use of probability in semantics: generics and frequency adverbs, vagueness, and conditionals. For each case, I examine the motivation for using probability and the role it plays in the theory.