New article by Dr. Moysh Bar-Lev

Homogeneity, underspecification, and ambiguity in plural predication

(Published in Journal of Semantics)

Abstract:

A prominent view of homogeneity takes it to be the result of a trivalent distributivity operator. Križ (2015) challenged this view by pointing out the existence of non-distributive plural predication, which is nonetheless homogeneous. In this paper I argue that this challenge disappears once a trivalent cumulativity operator (based on Link’s star operator), which derives meanings that are underspecified for distributivity and collectivity, is taken to be responsible for homogeneity instead. I point out that when this view is combined with a solution offered by Schwarzschild (1994) and Heim (1994) for the challenge of deriving both underspecified and ambiguous meanings (using ‘covers’), the challenge of deriving both distributive and non-distributive homogeneity is immediately resolved. I further argue that the view that emerges provides an explanation for the variation between predicates with respect to homogeneity and underspecification, and correctly predicts it to be context-dependent.

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