Skip to main content
Book cover

European Summer School in Logic, Language and Information

European Summer School in Logic, Language and Information

ESSLLI 2013, ESSLLI 2012: Pristine Perspectives on Logic, Language, and Computation pp 174–193Cite as

True Precision Required

Adjectives of Veracity in Spanish as Imprecision Regulators

  • Conference paper

  • 452 Accesses

Part of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science book series (LNTCS,volume 8607)

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to offer an analysis of adjectives of veracity in Spanish (verdadero ‘true’, auténtico ‘authentic’) that accounts for their modification of nouns in terms of imprecision regulation. Slack regulators are elements that signal the intended degree of precision in the use of an expression to describe a situation. In order to account for this fact, I will adopt [26]’s framework, which allows to directly compare and modify degrees along a scale of imprecision. Under this framework, expressions denote sets of alternatives whose size depends on the degree of precision of the context. Verdadero and auténtico are argued to be degree modifiers affecting this scale of imprecision by setting the degree of precision of the context to a high value, forcing the modified noun to be interpreted in a strict sense.

Keywords

  • adjectives of veracity
  • imprecision
  • degrees
  • alternatives

I would like to thank audiences at ESSLLI 2013 Student Session and UiL OTS seminar in Utrecht for their feedback. I am grateful to two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments. I also thank Violeta Demonte, Carme Picallo, Elena Castroviejo, Camelia Constantinescu, Rick Nouwen, and Galit Sassoon for helpful discussion. All remaining errors are my own. This research has been partially supported by research project FFI2012-32886, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, and by grant FPU2010-6022 from the Spanish Ministry of Education.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • DOI: 10.1007/978-3-662-44116-9_12
  • Chapter length: 20 pages
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
eBook
USD   44.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • ISBN: 978-3-662-44116-9
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
Softcover Book
USD   59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Abney, S.: The English noun phrase in its sentential aspect. PhD thesis. MIT (1987)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Anand, P., Hacquard, V.: Epistemics and attitudes. Semantics and Pragmatics 6, 1–59 (2013)

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  3. Anderson, C.: Hedging verbs and nouns using an alternative semantics. In: Proceedings of ConSOLE XXI (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Anscombre, J.C., Ducrot, O.: Deux mais en français? Lingua 43(1), 23–40 (1977)

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  5. Bartsch, R., Vennemann, T.: Semantic structures: A study in the relation between semantics and syntax. Athenäum, Frankfurt (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bochnak, M.R.: The non-universal status of degrees: Evidence from Washo. In: Keine, S., Slogget, S. (eds.) Proceedings of NELS 42, pp. 79–92. GLSA, Amherst (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bolinger, D.: Degree words. Mouton, The Hague (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Constantinescu, C.: Gradability in the nominal domain. PhD thesis, Universiteit Leiden (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Cresswell, M.J.: The semantics of degree. In: Partee, B.H. (ed.) Montague Grammar, pp. 261–292. Academic Press, New York (1976)

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  10. Hacquard, V., Wellwood, A.: Embedding epistemic modals in english: A corpus-based study. Semantics and Pragmatics 5, 1–29 (2012)

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  11. Hamblin, C.: Questions in Montague English. Foundations of Language 10, 41–53 (1973)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  12. Heim, I.: The semantics of definite and indefinite noun phrases. PhD thesis, University of Massachussetts, Amherst (1982)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Heim, I.: Notes on superlatives. Ms. MIT (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Heim, I., Kratzer, A.: Semantics in generative grammar. Blackwell, Oxford (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Kennedy, C.: Projecting the adjective: The syntax and semantics of gradability and comparison. Garland, New York (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Kennedy, C.: Vagueness and grammar: the semantics of relative and absolute gradable adjectives. Linguistics and Philosophy 30(1), 1–45 (2007)

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  17. Kennedy, C., McNally, L.: Scale structure and the semantic typology of gradable predicates. Language 81(2), 345–381 (2005)

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  18. Klein, E.: A semantics for positive and comparative adjectives. Linguistics and Philosophy 4(1), 1–45 (1980)

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  19. Kratzer, A., Shimoyama, J.: Indeterminate pronouns: The view from Japanese. In: Otsu, Y. (ed.) Proceedings of the 3rd Tokyo Conference on Psycholinguistics, pp. 1–25. Hituzi Syobo, Tokio (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Krifka, M.: Be brief and vague! and how bidirectional optimality theory allows for verbosity and precision. In: Restle, D., Zaefferer, D. (eds.) Sounds and Systems. Studies in Structure and Change. A Festschrift for Theo Vennemann, pp. 439–458. Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Lakoff, G.: Hedges: A study in meaning criteria and the logic of fuzzy concepts. Journal of Philosophical Logic 2(4), 458–508 (1973)

    CrossRef  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  22. Lasersohn, P.: Pragmatic halos. Language 75(3), 522–551 (1999)

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  23. Leonetti, M.: El artículo. In: Bosque, I., Demonte, V. (eds.) Gramática Descriptiva de la Lengua Española, vol. 1, pp. 787–890. Espasa Calpe, Madrid (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Matushansky, O.: Tipping the scales: The syntax of scalarity in the complement of seem. Syntax 5(3), 219–276 (2002)

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  25. Morzycki, M.: Degree modification of gradable nouns: Size adjectives and adnominal degree morphemes. Natural Language Semantics 17(2), 175–203 (2009)

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  26. Morzycki, M.: Metalinguistic comparison in an alternative semantics for imprecision. Natural Language Semantics 19(1), 39–86 (2011)

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  27. Papafragou, A.: Epistemic modality and truth conditions. Lingua 116(10), 1688–1702 (2006)

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  28. Paradis, C.: Between epistemic modality and degree: the case of really. In: Facchinetti, R., Krug, M., Palmer, F. (eds.) Modality in Contemporary English. Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Rooth, M.: A theory of focus interpretation. Natural Language Semantics 1, 75–116 (1992)

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  30. Sassoon, G.W.: Vagueness, Gradability and Typicality. The Interpretation of Adjectives and Nouns. Brill, Leiden (2013)

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  31. Sauerland, U., Stateva, P.: Two types of vagueness. In: Égré, P., Klinedinst, N. (eds.) Vagueness and Language Use, pp. 121–145. Palgrave Macmillan, Houndmills (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  32. von Stechow, A.: Comparing semantic theories of comparison. Journal of Semantics 3(1-2), 1–77 (1984)

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  33. de Vries, H.: Evaluative degree modification of adjectives and nouns. MA thesis, Universiteit Utrecht (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  34. Winterstein, G.: What but-sentences argue for: An argumentative analysis of but. Lingua 122(15), 1864–1885 (2012)

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Spanish National Research Council (ILLA-CSIC), Spain

    Melania S. Masiá

Authors
  1. Melania S. Masiá
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Linguistique Formelle, Université Paris Diderot-Paris 7, 13 . passage Menténégro, 75019, Paris, France

    Margot Colinet

  2. Passeerdersstraat 28A, 1016XC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Sophia Katrenko

  3. Department of Philosophy, Lund Unviersity, Kungshuset, Lundagård, 222 22, Lund, Sweden

    Rasmus K. Rendsvig

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Masiá, M.S. (2014). True Precision Required. In: Colinet, M., Katrenko, S., Rendsvig, R.K. (eds) Pristine Perspectives on Logic, Language, and Computation. ESSLLI ESSLLI 2013 2012. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 8607. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44116-9_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44116-9_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-44115-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-44116-9

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)