Weak readings of indefinites: type-shifting and closure

Abstract

The starting point of our investigation is the assumption that weak indefinite NPs have a well-formed denotation of type 〈e, t〉. This paper explores the consequences of this flexible type-theoretic approach at the compositional level. Some expressions (e.g., predicative be) select for arguments of type 〈e, t〉. The combination of predicative NPs with stage-level predicates and other expressions which do not necessarily select for arguments of type 〈e, t〉 creates a type mismatch which can be solved by defining modes of composition other than function application. These closure operations are argued to be lexicalized in light verbs like have and intensional verbs like seek. They are grammaticalized in the existential there construction.