Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

2-2021

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

Linguistics

Advisor

Sam Al Khatib

Committee Members

William McClure

Jon Nissenbaum

Anna Szabolcsi

Subject Categories

Semantics and Pragmatics

Keywords

wh-indefinites, Mandarin Chinese, epistemic reading

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the non-uniformity of Chinese wh-indefinites. The different algebraic structures associated with the different wh-indefinites are shown to play a signif- icant role in determining their possible readings. Specifically, those wh-indefinites that are associated with an unordered algebraic structure can give rise to an epistemic reading in both positive and negative sentences. Those wh-indefinites that are associated with a structure of total ordering never have an epistemic reading. They have an existential reading in posi- tive sentences and generate an insignificance reading under a clausemate negation. Shenme ‘what’ is a special in that it straddles both types of wh-indefinites. When it is interpreted as kind-denoting, it is associated with an unordered structure and has an epistemic read- ing; when it is degree-denoting, however, it is associated with a structure of total ordering, leading to an insignificance reading under a clausemate negation.

The proposed analysis through the lens of algebraic structure not only accounts for the non-uniformity of Chinese wh-indefinites, but also sheds light on the semantics of the particles that interact with the wh-indefinites. The multi-functional particle dou is an example. Two different groups of theories have been proposed to explain its different uses. The first group analyzes dou as a distributor and the second takes it to be semantically equivalent to English even. Bringing in the insights of the algebraic theory of Chinese wh-indefinites, I argue that the second group of theories is on the wrong track.

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