Work

On the peculiar distribution of the Japanese epistemic adverb 'masaka'

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: This study addresses the distribution of the Japanese epistemic adverb 'masaka'. In declaratives, it must co-occur with a negated epistemic modal. It can occur in polar questions but not in 'wh'-questions. We propose that 'masaka' differs from ordinary epistemic adverbs in that it expresses the modal claim that the prejacent is certainly at the not-at-issue level, while leaving the at-issue content intact. This semantics predicts that the at-issue and not-at-issue contents contradict each other in cases where 'masaka' is not licensed. Furthermore, several remaining issues are discussed. First, negated epistemic attitude verbs such as 'omow' ‘believe’ also license 'masaka'. Second, the Japanese exclamative markers 'nante/towa' also license 'masaka'. Herein we present tentative ideas for accommodating these cases. Finally, we demonstrate that the projection properties of 'masaka's' semantic contribution as not-at-issue content is complicated.

Source: Proceedings of Sinn und Bedeutung

DOI: 10.18148/sub/2024.v28.1134

Authors: Hirayama, Yuto, Ihara, Shun, Kobayashi, Ryoichiro

Language: English

Topic: Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation

Subfield: Language and Linguistics

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Award: A semantic/pragmatic analyses of interaction between predicates of personal taste and inferential expressions

OpenAlex ID: W6906739954

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