Quantificational noun phrase
SYNTAX: a noun phrase which in LF moves into an A-bar position, binding
its trace the way an operator binds a variable.
EXAMPLE: if sentence (i)a means that for every girl it is the case
that he gave her a book, its LF looks like (i)b where the quantificational noun
phrase every girl is moved into an A-bar position, leaving behind a
variable x and taking scope over a book, and is decomposed into the
'quantifier' every x and its restriction x a girl.
(i) a he gave a book to every girl
b [[every x, x a girl] [he gave a book to x]]
Quantifier
SEMANTICS: 1. (in °predicate
logic) the °logical constant in
predicate logic indicating whether a statement is universal or particular. The
°universal quantifier All
indicates that all entities in the universe have a given property while the
°existential quantifier
ThereIs indicates that at least one entity has the property:
(i) a All(x) [ P(x) ]
"Every x has property P"
b ThereIs(y) [ Q(y) ]
"At least one y has property Q"
The term quantifier can either be used for the symbols All and ThereIs
themselves or for the combination with the variable they bind: All(x) and
ThereIs(y). A more complex use of quantifiers is shown in (ii):
(ii) All(x) [ P(x) -> ThereIs(y) [ Q(y) & R(x,y) ]which might be the translation of a sentence like Every teenage girl adores a rock star.
Quantifier Raising (QR)
SYNTAX: instance of °move alpha
creating an
°operator-variable
configuration at °LF from which the
°scope of the operator can be calculated.
One empirical advantage of assuming a rule of QR which mediates the determination
of relative scope is that it explains the sensitivity of quantifier scope to
syntactic boundedness effects. Thus consider (i) and (ii).
(i) a someonei loves everyonej
b [ someonei [ everyonej [ ti loves tj ]]]
c [ everyonej [ someonei [ ti loves tj ]]]
(ii) a I know a girl that every boy loves
b [[ a girl [ that every boyj [ tj loves ]]]i [ I know ti ]]
c *[ every boyj [[ a girl [ that tj loves ]]i [ I know ti ]]]
The °scope ambiguity in (ia) follows
if QR can derive as LF either (ib) or (ic); (iia) on the other hand is not
ambiguous since (iic) can not be derived without violating the
°Complex NP Constraint.
Other advantages of QR are in the description of
°Weak Crossover and Antecedent
Contained Deletion. The exact conditions that govern the application of QR,
however, remain unclear.
Quantifier-float
°Floating quantifier.
Quantity-(in)sensitivity
PHONOLOGY: one of the typological
°parameters that define stress systems,
introduced by Hayes (1981). It reflects the role of
°syllable weight in assigning stress
°feet. In a quantity-sensitive (=QS) language
feet are sensitive to the internal structure of syllables, i.e.
°heavy syllables occur in head
position of feet. (The weight-contrast is language-specific.) In a
quantity-insensitive (=QI) language feet are built ignoring differences
in syllable structure, i.e. all types of syllables can occur in the head
position of a foot.
EXAMPLE: Latin is QS: the internal structure of syllables plays a
decisive role in the penultimate position of a word. One additional
restriction in Latin is that the final syllable is
°extrametrical (i.e. ignored by
the stress rules). The antepenultimate syllable receives stress if the
penultimate is light: co:nfíci<unt>; the penultimate syllable is stressed
only if it is heavy: pepér<ci:>
(cf. Hayes (1991:80).
LIT.
Hayes (1981)).