LP-1994-12: Representation and Information in Dynamic Semantics

LP-1994-12: Dekker, Paul (1994) Representation and Information in Dynamic Semantics. [Report]

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Abstract

Among the variety of phenomena that have been the subject of study within
dynamic semantics, the phenomenon of inter­sentential anaphora probably
has received most attention. Traditionally, pronouns have been associated
with (syntactically free, but semantically somehow bound) variables. Put
in a nutshell, the semantic relationships between pronouns and their
antecedents are established in a compositional way by associating both with
variables, and defining the interpretation algorithm as a function updating
information about the possible values of these variables. Thus, information
about the values of antecedent terms is available when co­indexed pronouns
are encountered.
In Dekker 1994 I have shown that the same empirical results can be
obtained without labeling the subjects introduced by candidate antecedents
with variables, that is, by not conflating natural language pronouns with
a logic's variables. In the system of predicate logic with anaphora which
is presented in that paper, anaphoric relationships are accounted for by
keeping track of the possible values of potential antecedent terms, not of
the variables they have been associated with.
In this paper I want to discuss the impact of this distinction between
pronouns and variables upon the notions of representation and informa­
tion involved in a dynamic semantics dealing with the interpretation of
anaphoric relationships.

Item Type:	Report
Report Nr:	LP-1994-12
Series Name:	Logic, Philosophy and Linguistics (LP)
Year:	1994
Date Deposited:	12 Oct 2016 14:39
Last Modified:	12 Oct 2016 14:39
URI:	https://eprints.illc.uva.nl/id/eprint/1214

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