On the Generic Use of Indefinite Singulars
On the Generic Use of Indefinite Singulars
复制标题
论不定单数的一般使用
DOI：
10.1093/jos/18.3.183
复制
发表时间：
2001
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
A. Cohen
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
A. Cohen
不定单数泛域的分布比裸复数泛域的分布受到更多的限制。前者与后者不同，似乎要求其主体所述的属性在某种意义上是定义性的。此外，这两种结构表现出不同的范围行为，并在连接词，问题和表达说话人的信心，他们的适切性不同。我认为原因是这两个词实际上有相当不同的含义。卡尔森（Carlson，1995）对归纳主义和规则和规范理论的泛型进行了区分。相反，我区分归纳主义和规则和法规的泛型阅读。在一种阅读中，类属表达事物的方式，其逻辑形式涉及量化;在另一种阅读中，类属指的是某种规则或规定（通常是定义），并声明它是有效的。虽然裸露的复数在两种解读之间是模糊的，但不确定的单数只能指一条规则或一条规定。这两种结构之间的差异来自于这样一个事实，即裸露的复数，而不是（非特定的）不确定的单数，是可以接受的主题。因此，纯复数泛型的主题是纯复数本身。它被映射到类属量词的限定词上，因此可以得到归纳阅读。相比之下，这个选项不对不定的单数泛型开放。因此，归纳主义的阅读被排除了，唯一可能的主题是规则或规定。两种类型的泛型之间的各种差异随后显示。
The distribution of indefinite singular generics is much more restricted than that of bare plural generics. The former, unlike the latter, seem to require that the property predicated of their subject be, in some sense, definitional'. Moreover, the two constructions exhibit different scopal behaviour, and differ in their felicity in conjunctions, questions, and expressions describing the speaker's confidence. I propose that the reason is that the two expressions, in fact, have rather different meanings. Carlson (1995) makes a distinction between inductivist and rules-and-regulations theories of generics. Instead, I draw a distinction between inductivist and rules-and-regulations readings of generics. On one reading, a generic expresses the way things are, and its logical form involves quantification; on the other reading, a generic refers to some rule or regulation (often a definition), and states that it is in effect. While bare plurals are ambiguous between the two readings, indefinite singulars can only refer to a rule or a regulation. This difference between the two constructions follows from the fact that bare plurals, but not (nonspecific) indefinite singulars, are acceptable topics. The topic of bare plural generics, then, is the bare plural itself. It is mapped onto the restrictor of the generic quantifier, hence an inductivist reading is available. In contrast, this option is not open to indefinite singular generics. Thus, an inductivist reading is ruled out, and the only possible topic is a rule or regulation. The various differences between the two types of generic are then shown to follow.