Licensing by modification

Abstract: This paper looks at the phenomena of licensing by modification, whereby an unacceptable noun phrase is redeemed by the presence of a modifier or an unavailable reading for a noun phrase is made available with the addition of a modifier. It argues that an optimal account of such phenomena...

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Main Author: Veneeta Dayal
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina 2004-01-01
Series:Ilha do Desterro
Online Access:https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/desterro/article/view/7349
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author Veneeta Dayal
author_facet Veneeta Dayal
author_sort Veneeta Dayal
collection DOAJ
description Abstract: This paper looks at the phenomena of licensing by modification, whereby an unacceptable noun phrase is redeemed by the presence of a modifier or an unavailable reading for a noun phrase is made available with the addition of a modifier. It argues that an optimal account of such phenomena should derive these effects from the interaction of the meanings of individual expressions in the sentence rather than by positing a formal licensing relation between the modifier and the noun it modifies. The general approach is explicated by considering the distribution of bare plurals in Italian and the availability of generic readings for plural definites in English. The overall goal is a modest one. It seeks to draw attention to properties of modification that go beyond set intersection by focusing on phenomena that have not so far been closely scrutinized in the literature. It uses the particular results to draw some conclusions about questions of general interest.Licensing by modification
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institution Kabale University
issn 0101-4846
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publishDate 2004-01-01
publisher Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
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series Ilha do Desterro
spelling doaj-art-cdb53d2ee5e141ecb6af4b4d9f1a25c52025-08-20T03:43:58ZengUniversidade Federal de Santa CatarinaIlha do Desterro0101-48462175-80262004-01-0147Licensing by modificationVeneeta DayalAbstract: This paper looks at the phenomena of licensing by modification, whereby an unacceptable noun phrase is redeemed by the presence of a modifier or an unavailable reading for a noun phrase is made available with the addition of a modifier. It argues that an optimal account of such phenomena should derive these effects from the interaction of the meanings of individual expressions in the sentence rather than by positing a formal licensing relation between the modifier and the noun it modifies. The general approach is explicated by considering the distribution of bare plurals in Italian and the availability of generic readings for plural definites in English. The overall goal is a modest one. It seeks to draw attention to properties of modification that go beyond set intersection by focusing on phenomena that have not so far been closely scrutinized in the literature. It uses the particular results to draw some conclusions about questions of general interest.Licensing by modificationhttps://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/desterro/article/view/7349
spellingShingle Veneeta Dayal
Licensing by modification
Ilha do Desterro
title Licensing by modification
title_full Licensing by modification
title_fullStr Licensing by modification
title_full_unstemmed Licensing by modification
title_short Licensing by modification
title_sort licensing by modification
url https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/desterro/article/view/7349
work_keys_str_mv AT veneetadayal licensingbymodification