12.2508, Qs: Pular, Presuppositions in Non-English Languages

[LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List:  Vol-12-2508. Mon Oct 8 2001. ISSN: 1068-4875.

Subject: 12.2508, Qs: Pular, Presuppositions in Non-English Languages

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=================================Directory=================================

1)
Date:  Mon, 8 Oct 2001 05:52:02 +0200
From:  "WK9" <wk9 at xs4all.nl>
Subject:  Pular

2)
Date:  Mon, 08 Oct 2001 16:06:51 -0400
From:  Mandy Simons <simons at andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject:  Question on presuppositions of change of state  sentences

-------------------------------- Message 1 -------------------------------

Date:  Mon, 8 Oct 2001 05:52:02 +0200
From:  "WK9" <wk9 at xs4all.nl>
Subject:  Pular

Dear Colleagues,

I'm looking for information/sources of the linguistic differences of
'Sierra Leonian' Pular and 'Guinean (Conakry)' Pular.

Mariette Timmer


-------------------------------- Message 2 -------------------------------

Date:  Mon, 08 Oct 2001 16:06:51 -0400
From:  Mandy Simons <simons at andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject:  Question on presuppositions of change of state  sentences


Dear Linguists,

I'm looking for information about the presuppositionality
of change of state sentences -- sentences whose main verbs
are change of state predicates like "stop," "start,"
"become," arrive," "leave," and so on -- in languages other
than English.

In English, such sentences give rise to presuppositions:
specifically, that the relevant entity was in the necessary
start state immediately prior to the reference time of the
sentence. So for example, sentence (1) entails that Jane
was laughing immediately prior to the reference time (the
necessary start state).

(1)	Jane stopped laughing.

Its negation, sentence (2), would also normally be
understood to mean that Jane was laughing, but that she
didn't stop. This is the "presuppositional" reading of the
sentence.

(2)	Jane didn't stop laughing

However, sentence (2) is compatible with a situation in
which Jane didn't laugh at all; this is the so-called
"metalinguistic negation" reading. The preferred or default
reading for all change of state sentences, though, is the
presuppositional one.

My assumption is that this generalization holds
cross-linguistically, i.e. that in all languages, change of
state sentences give rise to the same kinds of
presuppositions. I'm looking for support for, or
disconfirmation of, this assumption. In particular, I'm
interested in any examples of change of state predicates in
any language which either:

1.	Don't allow a presuppositional reading.
2.	Allow but don't prefer a presuppositional reading.

I'll be glad for any other information about preferred
readings of change of state sentences in languages other
than English.

Thankyou,
Mandy Simons

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