Conference on Cross-Linguistic Variation in Semantics, Ithaca, NY, July 7th - August 1st, 1997

语义的跨语言变异 语言如何在将语言形式映射到意义上时发生变化？ 儿童如何学习母语的语义特征？ 语言之间是否存在语法结构差异无法比拟的语义系统差异？ 本次会议和研讨会系列将借鉴语义和语法的最新进展，以精确地解决这些问题。 本文将研究三个语义领域：（1）名词性表达的指称（如，区分“质量”和“计数”名词的语言之间的语义差异--如英语--和那些不区分“质量”和“计数”名词的语言之间的语义差异--如汉语），（2）动词体和时态，（3）代词或其他“不完全”表达的解释（这往往涉及将“照应”表述与某些“先行词”联系起来）和相关的范围问题（某些表达式操作的“范围”）。 研究结果不仅具有理论意义，而且对外语学习和言语病理学等领域具有潜在的实践意义。

Cross-linguistic variation in semantics How can languages vary in mapping linguistic form to meanings? How do children learn the semantic properties of their native language? Can there be systematic differences among languages in their semantics unmatched by differences in grammatical structure? This conference and workshop series will draw on recent advances in semantics and syntax to address such questions with precision. Three semantic areas will be studied: (1) reference of nominal expressions (e.g., semantic differences among languages that distinguish "mass" from "count" nominals--like English--and those that do not--like Chinese), (2) verbal aspect and tense, and (3) interpretation of pronouns or other "incomplete" expressions (where this often involves connecting the "anaphoric" expression to some "antecedent") and related matters of scope (the "range" over which some expression operates). Results will be not only of theoretical interest but also of potential practical significance for such areas as foreign language learning and speech pathology.