Bare Singular NPs in Argument Positions: Restrictions on Indefiniteness
Bare Singular NPs in Argument Positions: Restrictions on Indefiniteness
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参数位置中的裸奇数 NP：对不定性的限制
DOI：
10.1163/187731010x528340
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发表时间：
2010
影响因子：
0.8
通讯作者：
Ljudmila Geist
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Ljudmila Geist
人们假设，在俄语等无冠词语言中，论元位置中的纯单数NP可以得到明确或不确定的解释。虽然明确的解释取决于更广泛的话语，并且如果所指对象是熟悉的，就可能自由出现，但对于引入新话语所指对象的裸NP的不确定解释的选择则受到更多限制。本文考察了俄语纯单数名词短语不确定解释的条件。研究表明，这种解释受到话题-评论结构的限制：只有当NP属于句子的评论部分时，才可能产生不确定解释，而当NP是关于话题时，不可能产生不确定解释。这种限制可以解释为不确定的关于性主题必须是特定的。然而，裸露的不确定NP只能接受非特定的存在解释，因此没有资格作为主题。本文有助于阐明NP解释的整体理论的语义和语用成分之间的相互作用，并认为，弱存在NP应区别于名词合并的情况下。
It has been assumed that in articleless languages such as Russian, bare singular NPs in argument positions can receive a definite or an indefinite interpretation. While the definite interpretation depends on the broader discourse and may freely arise if the referent is familiar, the option of an indefinite interpretation for bare NPs introducing new discourse referents is more restricted. This paper investigates conditions on the indefinite interpretation of bare singular NPs in Russian. It shows that this interpretation is restricted by the topic-comment structure: the indefinite interpretation may arise only if the NP belongs to the comment part of the sentence and is excluded for NPs which are aboutness topics. This restriction can be explained by the requirement that indefinite aboutness topics must be specific. Bare indefinite NPs however can only receive a non-specific existential interpretation, and hence do not qualify as topics. The paper contributes to the elucidation of the interaction between the semantic and pragmatic components of an overall theory of NP interpretation and argues that weak existential NPs should be distinguished from cases of noun incorporation.