The Conservativity of Many: Split Scope and Most

Abstract

Besides their cardinal and proportional readings, many and few have been argued to allow for a ‘reverse’ proportional reading that defies the conservativity universal (Westerstahl in Ling Philos 8:387−413, 1985). Recently, an analysis has been developed that derives the correct truth conditions for this reading while preserving conservativity (Romero, in Proceedings of the 20th Amsterdam Colloquium, ILLC, Amsterdam, 2015; Romero, On the reverse proportional reading of many, 2016a, submitted). The present paper investigates two predictions of this analysis, based on two key ingredients. First, many is decomposed into a determiner stem many and the degree operator POS. This predicts that other elements may scopally intervene between the two parts. Second, non-reverse and reverse readings arise from the versatile association possibilities of POS, as independently witnessed in the grammar. In languages in which the same versatile association profile is granted to the superlative degree operator -est, reverse readings are expected to arise for most as well. Both predictions are borne out.