Semantic and Pragmatic Studies on Existential Sentences

存在句和系列句一样，是自然语言中最基本的结构。到目前为止，关于日语存现句的研究主要集中在处所表达的存现句上，即“L我NP加不出”形式的存现句，讨论主要集中在URN和INT的区别上。另一方面，以往对英语存现句的研究多采用“There is NP PP(Loc)”和“NP is PP(Loc)”这两种结构，并对这两种结构之间的关系、句法性质、对NP的限定性限制等问题进行了探讨。与以往的研究不同，本研究强调从主语NP的指称/非指称功能来解释存现句丰富的语义结构。具体而言，考察以下几个方面对存现句的分析至关重要：主语NP是指称NP还是涉及变量的NP(NPIV)，NPIV是否隐藏在主语位置以外的位置，以及主语NP是否与强量词相容。对这些主题的探讨揭示了存在句的几种类型应该根据它们所完成的特定功能来区分，即处所存在句、本体论存在句、所有格存在句、列表存在句、关系存在句和跨空间存在句。研究结果表明，某些类型的存现句在语义结构的深层上与系联句(尤其是特指句)有着密切的联系。

Existential sentences, as well copular sentences, are the most basic constructions in natural languages. Research on Japanese existential sentences, up to now, has treated mainly existential sentences with locative expressions, namely locational existential sentences with the form of "L ni NP ga iru / aru", and the discussion has centered on the distinction between urn and int. Previous research on English existential sentences, on the other hand, has often taken up the constructions "There is NP PP (Loc)" and "NP is PP (Loc)" and discussed the relationship between these two constructions, syntactic properties of there, the definiteness restriction on the NP, and so on.This research, in contrast to that conducted so far, emphasizes the importance of taking the referentiality of NPs into consideration and explicates the rich semantic structure of existential sentences in terms of the referential/non-referential function of the subject NP. Specifically, the research reveals that the examination of the following aspects is essential for the proper analysis of existential sentences: whether the subject NP is a referential NP or an NP involving a variable (NPIV), whether an NPIV is hidden or not in position other than the subject position, and whether the subject NP is compatible with strong quantifiers or not. Inquiries into these topics have disclosed that several types of existential sentences (ESs) should be distinguished according to the specific functions they fulfill, namely, locational ESs, ontological ESs, possessive sentences, list sentences, relational ESs and trans-spatial ESs. The findings have indicated that some types of existential sentences are closely connected with copular sentences (especially specificational sentences) on a deeper level of semantic structure.