Abstract
There are different theories about the nature of pseudo-incorporated nouns (PINs), which feature a non-specific, number-neutral interpretation. For a proper analysis it is crucial to take their anaphoric potential into account. This paper investigates if and how PINs introduce discourse referents, with evidence from Persian, and which theory matches this behavior best. We report on experiments in which the stereotypical enrichment of the number-neutral interpretation was systematically varied with two types of biases — towards a singular or a plural interpretation — and in the neutral case, when such a bias is lacking. The results of the experiments are compatible with Krifka & Modarresi (2016), which considers PIN objects as dependent singular definites (similar to weak definites) within existential closure over an event variable.
Highlights
There are different theories about the nature of pseudo-incorporated nouns (PINs), which feature a non-specific, number-neutral interpretation
For a proper analysis of the semantics of PINs it is crucial to take their anaphoric potential into account, i.e. their ability to introduce discourse referents (DRs) that can be picked up by anaphoric expressions in subsequent discourse
In this article we discussed the nature of pseudo noun incorporation (PIN), with Persian bare noun objects (BN) as example
Summary
As participants were forced to select an anaphoric uptake, the experiment cannot distinguish between hypotheses 0 and A/B. Antecedents, we find that BN antecedents favored Null anaphora a bit more under all three bias conditions This can be interpreted as a slight preference for hypothesis A* over B*. Under the Neutral bias condition, BN antecedents are taken up by SG and Null anaphors . This would be expected under hypothesis B*, which assumes a structural tendency for simple summation, in contrast to A*. Experiment 1 did not show whether the participants favored the use of BNs as antecedents of anaphora because the antecedents were fixed conditions in the experimental items.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callSimilar Papers
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
