Abstract
The subject of this article is the semantics of focus, i.e. the development of a framework in which we can formulate the influence of focus on the semantic and pragmatic interpretation. In section (1), I will discuss such a framework, structured meanings. In section (2), I will point out some of its shortcomings, as it is currently worked out; they have to do with cases involving multiple foci. In (3), I develop a general representation format in which we can cope with these problematic cases. Finally, in (4) I will discuss some extensions and possible problems, among others a combined semantic treatment of focus and topic.
I had the opportunity to discuss issues of this article with several collegues. Without the comments and challenges of Paolo Casalegno, Gennaro Chierchia, Jochen Geilfuß, Joachim Jacobs, Michel Kefer, Uwe Mönnich, Richard Oehrle, Manfred Pinkal, Arnim von Stechow, Hubert Truckenbrodt, Dietmar Zaefferer, and Ede Zimmermann, flaws would be more abundant, and the coverage would be less broad. Thanks to them all.
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Krifka, M. (1992). A Compositional Semantics for Multiple Focus Constructions. In: Jacobs, J. (eds) Informationsstruktur und Grammatik. Linguistische Berichte Sonderhefte, vol 4. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-663-12176-3_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-663-12176-3_2
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