30.3741, Confs: Gen Ling, Ling Theories, Pragmatics, Semantics, Syntax/United Kingdom

Fri Oct 4 07:58:35 UTC 2019

LINGUIST List: Vol-30-3741. Fri Oct 04 2019. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 30.3741, Confs: Gen Ling, Ling Theories, Pragmatics, Semantics, Syntax/United Kingdom

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Date: Fri, 04 Oct 2019 03:57:58
From: Maria J Arche [m.j.arche at greenwich.ac.uk]
Subject: Individual/Stage Level Discussion Day

Individual/Stage Level Discussion Day 

Date: 24-Oct-2019 - 24-Oct-2019 
Location: London, United Kingdom 
Contact: Maria J Arche 
Contact Email: m.j.arche at greenwich.ac.uk 

Linguistic Field(s): General Linguistics; Linguistic Theories; Pragmatics; Semantics; Syntax 

Meeting Description: 

It has been about 45 years since Milsark (1974) and Carlson (1977) observed
that differences in the properties of predicates have an impact in the
grammaticality of, at least, existential, copular and small clauses and the
interpretation of their subjects. Milsark defined the differences in terms of
the contrast properties vs states; Carlson in terms of stages vs. that
whatever-it-is that ties the stages together (the individual). The
individual/stage dichotomy has occupied a prominent position in the criteria
that define the distribution of predicates and the interpretation of their
subjects since, e.g., There are shops in the corner/*big; Shops are in the
corner (existential and generic reading); Shops are big (only generic); see
Fábregas 2012 for a recent overview. Despite the general acceptance of the
intuition behind the contrast, three big questions have been hanging over it.
The first one relates to whether the distinction is a primitive or it can be
derived from more basic properties of the grammar; the second one to the locus
of the grammar it belongs and how it can be formalized (is it syntactic,
semantic or pragmatic?); the third one to what counts as a diagnostic. Authors
such as Kratzer (1988), Stowell (1991), Diesing (1992), McNally (1992),
Chierchia (1995), Raposo & Uriagereka (1995), Maienborn (2004) famously
provided very much influential accounts whereby the contrast is established in
terms of presence/absence of a Davidsonian argument, generic operators, base
generation of subjects inside or outside the VP and different mapping at LF,
information structure or pragmatic inference. Recent literature proves that
consensus has not been completely met yet. Husband (2010) has defended that
the contrast can be understood in quantization terms (inner aspect), while
Magri (2009), following Chierchia 2004, argues for a scalar based approach
which resolves within the grammar rather than in the extra grammatical domain
of pragmatics and defends there’s no need for a particular theory of
individual level predicates. Does the individual/stage distinction exist at
all? In what sense? The number of works in which it appears as the explanation
for grammaticality contrasts or degrees of grammaticality are so numerous that
it is not possible to do justice to it.

In this Discussion Day we will have the privilege to have authors that settled
the scene in the field and others that have been very prominent in reviving
the discussion of the Individual/Stage Level distinction by bringing new
perspectives and new data that reveal that the famous dichotomy may not be
consensually clear but is as alive as ever. 

Please join us.

Our speakers include:

Dr Víctor Acedo-Matellán, University of Oxford
Dr Maria J. Arche, University of Greenwich
Professor Gennaro Chierchia, Harvard University
Professor Molly Diesing, Cornell University
Professor Vera Hohaus, University of Manchester
Dr Matthew Husband, University of Oxford
Professor Giorgio Magri, French National Centre for Scientific Research
Professor Louise McNally, University Pompeu Fabra
Professor Timothy Stowell, University of California Los Angeles

Date: 24 October, 2019
Venue: University of Greenwich, London.
Organisers: Dr María J. Arche (Univeristy of Greenwich), Prof. Antonio
Fábregas (University of Tromsoe) and Dr Rafael Marín (CNRS-Lille 3)
Contact Person: María J. Arche, m.j.arche at greenwich.ac.uk

For further information please visit the website of the Centre for Research &
Enterprise in Language (CREL),
https://www.gre.ac.uk/ach/services/crel

Program:

Centre for the Research & Enterprise in Language (CREL)
University of Greenwich 
Discussion Series Persistent issues in Language Analysis
24th October 2019: The Individual/stage level contrast
Hamilton House
15 Park Vista 
London SE10 9LZ 

Attendance is free of charge but please register for catering purposes at:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/persistent-issues-in-language-analysis-discussi
on-series-tickets-66314176487

9:00-9:15:
Registration

9:15-9:30: 
Welcome

9:30-10:20:
Professor Gennaro Chierchia, Harvard University
How generic are I-Level predicates? Remarks on Magri’s 2009 proposal

10:20-11:00: 
Professor Giorgio Magri, French National Centre for Scientific Research
Commentary

11:00-11:30: Coffee break

11:30-12:20: 
Dr María J. Arche, University of Greenwich and Professor Timothy Stowell,
University of California Los Angeles
Dispositional adjectives: characterizing and episodic predication

12:20-13:00: 
Dr Víctor Acedo-Matellán, University of Oxford
Commentary

13:00-14:00: Lunch break

14:00-14:50:
Dr Matthew Husband, University of Oxford
Decomposing States

14:50-15:30: 
Dr Vera Hohaus, University of Manchester
Commentary

15:30-16:20:
Professor Molly Diesing, Cornell University
Stage and Individual Level Predicates at the Syntax and Semantics Interface

16:20-17:00: 
Professor Louise Mc Nally, University Pompeu Fabra
Commentary 

17:00-17:15: Coffee Break

17:15-18:00: 
Open Discussion
Where in the grammar does the IL/SL distinction reside?

19:00: Dinner

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