Interactions between Dynamic Effects and Alternative-Based Inferences in the Study of Meaning

关于如何理解语义学（与单词和其他表达相关的意义的传统方面）和语用学（由于对话原则和一般推理而产生的意义种类）之间的分工，存在几个悬而未决的问题。这里有两个经验领域特别有趣。首先，动态效应（DEs）：当一个语言表达影响到它后面的另一个语言的解释时，我们说一个DE获得。例如，在(1)中，代词“it”的解释受到不定“a Ferrari”的影响（解析为），因为它依赖于它。比尔有一辆法拉利。它停在外面。第二，基于替代的推理（ABIs）：如果一个句子的推理是通过否定另一个句子（其意义的一个方面）而产生的，那么这个句子就是基于替代的。例如，(2)的标量含义Helen没有同时吃牛排和沙拉是通过用“and”而不是“or”来否定(2)的可选项而产生的。海伦吃了一块牛排或一份沙拉。这两个领域引发了两场类似的辩论。(1)虽然人们一致认为DEs和abi都涉及语义学和语用学的结合，但它们各自扮演的角色是有争议的。（ii）关于第(1)和(2)以及涉及DEs或abi的相关现象的特征一开始是否正确，存在争议。这就产生了一个更广泛的问题，即是否应该采用动态的观点以及基于备选的观点。为了解决争论(i)，本项目采用了一个工作假设，即一个人确实应该采用两种观点。在此基础上，它研究了迄今为止在很大程度上被忽视的经验领域，即DEs和abi的非平凡相互作用；只要采用特定的动态透视图，就会立即产生需要采用基于可选透视图的结果，反之亦然。因此，DEs和abi联合研究的理论结果是深远的。除了对de和abi的个别理论辩论有所贡献外，它还将为语义-语用界面的本质提供新颖而重要的见解。此外，这种方法的成功有助于辩论（二），因为它将支持采用动态和基于替代的观点的观点。为了证实概述的理论观点，该项目采用了各种各样的实验措施来收集数据，为辩论提供了新的见解。此外，它通过采取跨模态观点，将理论的经验覆盖范围扩展到简单的口语之外。这是通过研究手势对DEs和abi的影响以及它们在手语中的可视化来实现的。因此，这个项目的新颖性和原创性在于它的经验焦点，既新颖又广泛，随之而来的理论含义和用于调查的各种实验方法。

Several open questions exist about how the division of labour between Semantics (the conventional aspect of meaning associated with words and other expressions) and Pragmatics (kinds of meaning that arise due to principles of conversation and general reasoning) is to be understood. Two empirical domains are of particular interest here. First, dynamic effects (DEs): when a linguistic expression affects the interpretation of another one following it, we say that a DE obtains. E.g. in (1) the interpretation of the pronoun "it" is affected by (resolved to) the indefinite "a Ferrari", as it is dependent on it.(1) Bill owns a Ferrari. It is parked outside.Second, alternative-based inferences (ABIs): if a sentence's inference arises by negating (an aspect of the meaning of) an alternative sentence, it is alternative-based. E.g. the scalar implicature of (2) that Helen did not eat both a steak and a salad arises by negating the alternative to (2) with "and" instead of "or".(2) Helen ate a steak or a salad.The two domains have given rise to two similar debates. (i) While there is consensus that both DEs and ABIs involve a combination of semantics and pragmatics, it is controversial what role each one plays. (ii) It is debated whether the characterisation of (1) and (2) and related phenomena as involving DEs or ABIs is correct to begin with. This gives rise to the broader issue whether a dynamic perspective and in addition an alternative-based perspective should be adopted at all. To address debate (i), this project adopts the working hypothesis that indeed one should adopt both perspectives. Based on this it investigates a hitherto largely neglected empirical domain, namely the non-trivial interaction of DEs and ABIs; non-trivial insofar as taking a particular dynamic perspective has immediate consequences for which alternative-based perspective one needs to take and vice versa. As such the theoretical consequences of the combined investigation of DEs and ABIs are profound. Apart from contributing to the individual theoretical debates about DEs and ABIs, it will offer novel and important insights into the nature of the semantics-pragmatics interface. Moreover, the success of such an approach contributes to debate (ii), as it will bolster a view that adopts both the dynamic and the alternative-based perspective. To substantiate the theoretical perspective sketched, the project adopts a broad variety of experimental measures for data collection promising new insights into the debates. Moreover, it extends the empirical coverage of the theory beyond simple spoken language by taking a cross-modal view. It does so by investigating the influence of gesture on DEs and ABIs and their visualisation in sign languages. The novelty and originality of this project thus lie in its empirical focus, both novel and broad at once, the ensuing theoretical implications and the variety of experimental methods used for investigation.