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Even in presupposition denials.

Naomi Francis¹

¹Department of Linguistics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.

Linguistics and Philosophy

|November 18, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study explains the surprising asymmetry in using the word "even" when denying presuppositions. It reveals how "even" interacts with context and alternatives, offering crosslinguistic insights into presupposition denial.

Keywords:

Additivity Alternatives Even Presupposition denial

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Area of Science:

Linguistics
Semantics
Pragmatics

Background:

The use of the scalar additive particle 'even' presents a complex semantic and pragmatic puzzle.
Polarity-based asymmetries in linguistic constructions often reveal underlying grammatical principles.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the polarity-based asymmetry in the usage of 'even' within sentences that deny presuppositions.
To propose a novel account for this asymmetry based on the interaction of 'even's presupposition with contextual alternatives.

Main Methods:

Analysis of presupposition denial contexts.
Exploration of the interaction between 'even's additive presupposition and salient alternatives.
Crosslinguistic comparison of 'even' behavior.

Main Results:

A polarity-based asymmetry in the use of 'even' when denying presuppositions was identified.
The study demonstrates that this asymmetry arises from the interplay of 'even's presupposition and contextually salient alternatives.
The proposed account shows predictive power across different languages.

Conclusions:

Presupposition denials serve as a valuable diagnostic environment for understanding the behavior of 'even'.
The interaction between presuppositions and focus alternatives is crucial for explaining complex scalar phenomena.
The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of scalar particles and presupposition theory.