Dynamic Generalized Quantifiers and Existential Sentences in Natural Languages
Reinhard Blutner · Journal of Semantics · 1993
The central topic to be discussed in this paper is the definiteness restriction in there-insertion contexts. Various attempts to explain this definiteness restriction using the standard algebraic framework are discussed (Barwise & Cooper 1981; Keenan 1978; Milsark 1974; Higginbortham 1987; Lappin 1988) and the shortcomings of these attempts are demonstrated. Finally, a new approach to the interpretation of existential there be-sentences is developed within the framework of Groenendijk & Stokhof's (1990) Dynamic Montague Grammar. This approach makes use of a variant of Partee's (1986) ‘type-shifting’-operator BE and it overcomes the shortcomings of the rival analyses. The general conclusion is that Dynamic Montague Grammar has applications other than those which prompted it and advantages other than those Groenendijk & Stokhof claim for it.