Semantic Constraints on Anaphoric Determiners

Abstract

Denotations of anaphoric determiners are treated as functions from sets and relations to sets. Constraints on such denotations are studied, and shown to generalize anaphor conditions known from the study of simpler cases of nominal anaphors. In addition a generalisation of the notion of conservativity as applied to anaphoric functions is presented. Two classes of anaphoric determiners are discussed as examples: complex anaphoric determiners in English (e.g. no?except herself) and simple anaphoric determiners in Slavic languages (e.g. Polish swoj "his own")