A note on contrast

Natural Language Semantics 21 (4):333-343 (2013)
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Abstract

The semantics of association with focus and the pragmatic conditions governing the appropriateness of focus in discourse are usually taken to depend on focus alternatives. According to a common view, these alternatives are generated by a permissive process. This permissive view has been challenged by Michael Wagner, who has noted that certain alternatives are systematically excluded from consideration. Wagner describes a more restrictive view, on which only contrastive alternatives are relevant for association with focus and for the appropriateness of focus in discourse. I use recent work on the role of contradiction to show that the standard, permissive view derives the same results as the contrast-based view for the basic cases. These basic cases involve a contradiction that prevents us from using them to distinguish the two approaches. I show that when this contradiction is eliminated, evidence of non-contrastive alternatives emerges, supporting the permissive standard view over the restrictive contrast-based one

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References found in this work

A theory of focus interpretation.Mats Rooth - 1992 - Natural Language Semantics 1 (1):75-116.
Semantic Interpretation in Generative Grammar.Ray S. Jackendoff - 1975 - Foundations of Language 12 (4):561-582.
Scalar implicatures in complex sentences.Uli Sauerland - 2004 - Linguistics and Philosophy 27 (3):367-391.

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