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Polarity items in superlative constructions

Polarity items in superlative constructions. Jack Hoeksema University of Groningen. Structure of the talk. Strawson entailment (Von Fintel 1999) Strawson entailing contexts : superlatives , restrictive adverbs ( only ) Polarity items that appear in superlative constructions

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Polarity items in superlative constructions

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  1. Polarity items in superlativeconstructions Jack Hoeksema University of Groningen Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  2. Structure of the talk • Strawson entailment (Von Fintel 1999) • Strawson entailingcontexts: superlatives, restrictiveadverbs (only) • Polarity items thatappear in superlativeconstructions • Polarity items thatdon’tappear in superlativeconstructions • Comparisonwithonly • Conclusions Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  3. Downward and upwardentailment • Every pig will be eaten  Every sow will be eaten (downward entailment from the general pig to the less general sow) • Some sow will be eaten  Some pig will be eaten (upward entailment) Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  4. NegativePolarity Items • Appear in downward entailing contexts (Ladusaw 1979) • Familiar problems with this analysis: questions, superlatives, only • Proposed solution for superlatives and only: Strawson entailment Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  5. Strawson entailment Jones is the tallest dairy farmer // Jones is the tallest farmer Jones is the tallest farmer Jones is a dairy farmer Jones is the tallest dairy farmer Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  6. And so • Strawson downward entailment is downward entailment, with the added premise that the presuppositions of the conclusion are met • And can be viewed as a generalization of regular downward entailment Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  7. Application to only • Only Jones likes meat  Only Jones likes beef (valid on the assumption that Jones likes beef, otherwise invalid) Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  8. Polarity items in superlativecontexts a. He is the last person who would ever admit any interest in love-stories. b. Angela is the first one who ever did a damn thing for me. c. Emma is the tallest girl to ever win the dance contest. d. That was the best party ever! Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  9. More Englishexamples: in X a. We sailed through what must have been the worst storm in years. b. This meager lunch is easily the best meal I have had in ages. c. That’s the most interesting piece of information I have had in weeks. Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  10. Yet, in the world, alive a. Last night’s game saw our greatest victory yet. b. This was the worst game I have yet had to misfortune to attend. c. It was said in the most unconscious manner in the world. d. I am glad to be alive. e. I am the happiest man alive. f. *There was a man alive. g. There was not a man alive. Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  11. Dutch NPIsthatappear in superlatives • Ooit ‘ever’ • In tijden ‘in ages’ • Ter wereld ‘on earth’ • Van zijn leven ‘of his life’ Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  12. German • Je, jemals ‘ever’ • Überhaupt a Sie war das schönsteMadchen das ich je gesehenhatte. She was the beautiful-est girl that I ever seen had “She was the most beautiful girl that I had ever seen b. The Beatles war die beste Band die es jemalsgegeben hat. The Beatles were the best band that it ever given has “The Beatles are the best band that ever existed” c. Du bistfürmich das liebsteMädchenüberhaupt You are for me the sweetestgirlat-all NB: no counterpart to in ages, in years, in monthsetc Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  13. French: jamais, de ma vie a. C’est la meilleure omelette que j’aie jamais mangée. That’s the best omelet that I’ve ever eaten ‘That is the best omelet I have ever eaten’ b. C’étaient les plus belles vacances de ma vie. It-was the most beautiful vacation of my life ‘It was the most beautiful vacation of my life’ Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  14. NPIsthatshunsuperlatives • In the least • *This is the most important document that Fred was in the least excited about. • In het minst • Dit is het slechtsteboekdatik in het minstgeapprecieerdheb • Imgeringsten • DieseRegierungist die beste die wirjemals/*imgeringstengehabthaben Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  15. anymore • This is the best film that is shown here anymore. • Government makes activists sound bad but it is the best chance this country has anymore. FromLevinson 2008 Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  16. Corpus data: ever, any, anymore Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  17. Minimizers don’tlikesuperlatives Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  18. Auxiliaryneed (32) a. You need not worry about a thing. b. *You need (OK: need to) work harder. c. *That’s the most important thing you need do. d. That’s the only thing you need do. e. ?That’s the first thing you need do. f. That’s the last thing you need worry about. g. Need I say more? h. Little else need be done.  Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  19. Corpus data Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  20. Remotely a. The students were not remotely interested. b. *The students were remotely interested. c. *She is the best/worst student who is remotely interested. d. She is the only student who is remotely interested. e. She is the first student who is remotely interested. f. That was the last thing that was remotely funny. g. Wake me up if it gets remotely interesting. h. Was it even remotely interesting? Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  21. Corpus data remotely Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  22. Dutch corpus data: ooit, enig, meer Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  23. Dutch minimizers Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  24. Modalauxiliaryhoeven Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  25. In de verste verte ‘remotely’ Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  26. German: je/jemals, mehr Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  27. Germanminizimersdon’tlikesuperlativeseither Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  28. Germanbrauchen Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  29. Superlatives versus Only • Only John ever goesthere. • John is the leastlikelyperson ever to win the race. • *Only John has seen her in ages • John is the best student I’ve had in ages • Onlycandidateswith a PhDneedapply • *The best candidatewhoneedapply is John • The onlycandidatewhoneedapply is John Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  30. More corpus data Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

  31. conclusions • OnlysomeNPIs are acceptable in superlativecontexts • Typically, NPIs in superlativecontextsextend the domain of quantification (ever, alive, in years) and are adjuncts • Any, enig (nonadjuncts) are possible in superlativecontexts, but rare • The NPIslicensedbysuperlatives are not the same as the NPIslicensedbyonly • Strawson entailmentfails as a uniform explanation of licensingpatterns of NPIs Negation workshop, Utrecht, June 17 2010

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