Focus presuppositions
Focus presuppositions
Author(s): Dorit AbuschSubject(s): Semantics
Published by: Akadémiai Kiadó
Keywords: focus; presupposition; alternative semantics; presupposition projection; givenness;
Summary/Abstract: This paper reviews notions related to focus and presupposition and addresses the hypothesis that focus triggers an existential presupposition. Presupposition projection behavior in certain examples appears to favor a presuppositional analysis of focus. It is argued that these examples are open to a different analysis using givenness theory. Overall, the analysis favors a weak semantics for focus not including an existential presupposition.
Journal: Acta Linguistica Hungarica (Since 2017 Acta Linguistica Academica)
- Issue Year: 55/2008
- Issue No: 3-4
- Page Range: 319-330
- Page Count: 12
- Language: English