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This book characterizes a notion of type that covers both linguistic and non-linguistic action, and lays the foundations for a theory of action based on a Theory of Types with Records (TTR). Robin Cooper argues that a theory of language based on action allows the adoption of a perspective on linguistic content that is centred on interaction in dialogue; this approach is crucially different to the traditional view of natural languages as essentially similar to formal languages such as logics developed by philosophers or mathematicians. At the same time, he claims that the substantial technical advantages made by the formal language view of semantics can be incorporated into the action-based view, and that this can lead to important improvements in both intuitive understanding and empirical coverage. This enterprise uses types rather than possible worlds as commonly employed in studies of the semantics of natural language. Types are more tractable than possible worlds and offer greater
potential for understanding the implementation of semantics both on machines and in biological brains.
Author(s): Robin Cooper
Series: Oxford Studies in Semantics and Pragmatics
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 452
City: Oxford
cover
seriespage
titlepage
copyright
dedication
Contents
General preface
Acknowledgements
How to read this book
Introduction
Part I. From perception and action to grammar
1 From perception to intensionality
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Perception as type assignment
1.3 Modelling type systems in terms of mathematical objects
1.4 Situation types
1.5 Intensionality: Propositions as types
1.6 Summary
2 From event perception and action to information states and information exchange
2.1 Introduction
2.2 The string theory of events
2.3 Doing things with types
2.4 Speech events
2.5 Signs
2.6 Information exchange in dialogue
2.7 English resources
2.8 Summary of resources introduced
2.9 Summary
3 Grammar in a theory of action
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Constituent structure and events
3.3 Syntax
3.4 Semantics
3.5 Incremental processing and building a chart type
3.6 Summary of resources introduced
3.7 Summary
Part
II. Towards a dialogical view of semantics
4 Reference and mental states
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Proper names as signs
4.3 Proper names and communication
4.4 Proper names, salience, and accommodation
4.5 Paderewski
4.6 The interpretation of unbound pronouns
4.7 Summary of resources introduced
4.8 Summary
5 Frames and descriptions
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Common nouns and individual concepts
5.3 The Partee puzzle
5.4 Frames as records
5.5 Frames and common nouns
5.6 Definite descriptions as dynamic generalized quantifiers
5.7 Individual vs. frame level nouns
5.8 Passengers and ships
5.9 Summary of resources introduced
5.10 Summary
6 Modality and intensionality without possible worlds
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Possible worlds, modality, and intensionality
6.3 Modal type systems
6.4 Modality without possible worlds
6.5 Intensionality without possible worlds
6.6 Summary of resources introduced
6.7 Summary
7 Witness-based quantification
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Quantifiers and their witness sets
7.3 Relating witness sets to probabilities
7.4 Witness conditions for quantificational ptypes
7.5 Long distance dependencies
7.6 Summary of resources introduced
7.7 Summary
8 Type-based underspecification
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Quantifier scope and underspecification
8.3 Anaphora
8.4 Summary of resources introduced
8.5 Summary
Conclusion
Appendix: TTR
A1 Underlying set theory
A2 Basic types
A3 Complex types
A4 Function types
A5 Set types
A6 Singleton types
A7 Join types
A8 Meet types
A9 Models and modal systems of types
A10 The type Type and stratification
A11 Records and Record types
A12 List types
A13 Strings and regular types
References
Symbols and notations used
Named types
Name index
Subject index
