3. Specificity
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Klaus von Heusinger
Abstract
Specificity is a semantic-pragmatic notion that distinguishes between different uses or interpretations of indefinite noun phrases. Roughly speaking, it corresponds to the referential intentions of the speaker using an indefinite noun phrase. The speaker can intend to refer to a particular entity using an indefinite noun phrase, or not. This very general communicative option is mirrored in the linguistic category of specificity, which has become a central notion in analyses of syntactic as well as semantic phenomena. This article reviews different types of specificity discussed in the research literature: (i) referential specificity, (ii) scopal specificity, (iii) epistemic specificity, (iv) partitive specificity, (v) topical specificity, (vi) noteworthiness as specificity, and (vii) discourse prominence as specificity. It also presents recent approaches to specificity, including choice function approaches. Based on this review, the article argues that there is a core semantic notion of specificity, namely “referential anchoring”, which connects the semantic properties of specific indefinites with their discourse properties.
Abstract
Specificity is a semantic-pragmatic notion that distinguishes between different uses or interpretations of indefinite noun phrases. Roughly speaking, it corresponds to the referential intentions of the speaker using an indefinite noun phrase. The speaker can intend to refer to a particular entity using an indefinite noun phrase, or not. This very general communicative option is mirrored in the linguistic category of specificity, which has become a central notion in analyses of syntactic as well as semantic phenomena. This article reviews different types of specificity discussed in the research literature: (i) referential specificity, (ii) scopal specificity, (iii) epistemic specificity, (iv) partitive specificity, (v) topical specificity, (vi) noteworthiness as specificity, and (vii) discourse prominence as specificity. It also presents recent approaches to specificity, including choice function approaches. Based on this review, the article argues that there is a core semantic notion of specificity, namely “referential anchoring”, which connects the semantic properties of specific indefinites with their discourse properties.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- 1. Pronouns 1
- 2. Definiteness and indefiniteness 33
- 3. Specificity 70
- 4. Quantifiers 112
- 5. Bare noun phrases 149
- 6. Possessives and relational nouns 177
- 7. Mass nouns and plurals 204
- 8. Genericity 232
- 9. Aspectual class and Aktionsart 274
- 10. Perfect and progressive 313
- 11. Verbal mood 369
- 12. Deverbal nominalization 407
- 13. Tense 436
- 14. Modality 463
- 15. Conditionals 503
- 16. Propositional attitudes 532
- 17. Indexicality and De Se reports 562
- Index 619
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- 1. Pronouns 1
- 2. Definiteness and indefiniteness 33
- 3. Specificity 70
- 4. Quantifiers 112
- 5. Bare noun phrases 149
- 6. Possessives and relational nouns 177
- 7. Mass nouns and plurals 204
- 8. Genericity 232
- 9. Aspectual class and Aktionsart 274
- 10. Perfect and progressive 313
- 11. Verbal mood 369
- 12. Deverbal nominalization 407
- 13. Tense 436
- 14. Modality 463
- 15. Conditionals 503
- 16. Propositional attitudes 532
- 17. Indexicality and De Se reports 562
- Index 619
