Yael Sharvit
Biographic Data
| ID | 1008224 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Yael Sharvit |
| GIVEN NAMES | Yael |
| FAMILY NAME | Sharvit |
| SIGNATURE | SHARVIT Y |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Connecticut |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6295-7903 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 19 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 64 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 19 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1999 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
On the unification of which -interrogatives and alternative-interrogatives
Some similarities between alternative-interrogatives and which -interrogatives seem to support a unifying analysis. The paper discusses two such analyses, and the challenges they face, and some advantages and shortcomings of a non-unifying approach
Rooth-Partee conditionals and the symmetry of disjunction
It is argued that or is inherently symmetric, based on the intuitive equivalence of If x is P or Q, then y is and If x is Q or P, then y is – referred to as Rooth-Partee conditionals. As observed in Rooth and Partee [1982. Conjunction, type ambiguity and wide scope or. In Daniel P. Flickinger, Marlys Macken & Nancy Wiegand (eds.), Proceedings of WCCFL , vol. 1], the elided phrase in the consequent clause of these conditionals brings about a readi…
Copular asymmetries in belief reports
Belief or consequences
We argue for a new inference-based analysis of belief attribution in which the embedded proposition is inferable from, but need not directly identify, an underlying belief of the subject’s. The analysis accounts for attributions of belief in necessary truths and falsities, overcoming a major difficulty facing Hintikka (1962), and goes beyond Cresswell & von Stechow (1982) in accounting for intuitively valid inferable belief attributions. The anal…
Negative Polarity Items in Definite Superlatives
Ordinary superlative descriptions are well-known to provide safe harbor to negative polarity items (NPIs), as in the longest book anyone read. What is less well-known is that relative superlative descriptions also sometimes host NPIs, as in the loudest that anyone sang. We observe that this latter pattern is more general than has been previously described. In fact, relative superlatives can license NPIs outside of their own descriptions. On the o…
On the presuppositional strength of interrogative clauses
A note on (Strawson) entailment
It is argued that the notion of classical entailment faces two problems, the second argument projection problem and the P-to-Q problem, which arise because classical entailment is not designed to handle partial functions. It is shown that while the second argument projection problem can be solved either by flattening the syntactic tree or with naïve multi-valued logics, the P-to-Q problem cannot. Both problems are solved by introducing a new noti…
Bound Tense in Relative Clauses: Evidence from VP-Ellipsis
We discuss lessons from VP-ellipsis about tense embedding (TE). We begin by portraying two possible views of relative clause TE (RC-TE): one that derives simultaneous readings only by coreference, and another that derives them by binding (section 2). We show data from VP-ellipsis, inspired by Stowell 2014, that support the binding view (section 3), and later review an argument that has been made against it (section 4). The argument is based on th…
On the Universal Principles of Tense Embedding: The Lesson from Before
Journal Article On the Universal Principles of Tense Embedding: The Lesson from Before Get access Yael Sharvit Yael Sharvit University of California, Los Angeles Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Journal of Semantics, Volume 31, Issue 2, May 2014, Pages 263–313, https://doi.org/10.1093/jos/ffs024 Published: 12 March 2013 Article history Received: 01 February 2012 Revision received: 03 December 2012 Accepted:…
Bound 'de re' pronouns and the LFs of attitude reports
An empirical argument is given in support of Percus & Sauerland's (2003) theory of 'de re' ascription, according to which the internal argument of "believe" is a function from concept-generators to propositions. The argument concerns pronouns in the scope of attitude verbs that are interpreted both 'de re' and as bound variables. It is argued that more traditional theories of 'de re' ascription --- specifically, theories that take the 'res' to be…
In defense of the grammatical approach to local implicatures
Covaluation and Unexpected BT Effects
It is argued that binding theory (BT) must recognize two types of covaluation: the familiar type, which holds between two NPs when they have the same semantic value, and a new type, which holds between two NPs when one of them denotes an attitude holder and the other the 'self' of the attitude holder. This is shown to account for the acceptability of 'de re' reflexive pronouns and unacceptability of some 'de re' non-reflexive pronouns. Alternativ…
Infinitival Superlatives: English vs. Modern Hebrew
This paper investigates some semantic and syntactic properties of infinitival relative clauses in superlative expressions (“infinitival superlatives”). In the course of this investigation, more general theoretical issues pertaining to the syntax and semantics of relative clauses in general are addressed, as well as the semantics of superlatives and of tense. The semantics of infinitival superlatives is accounted for by the assumption that the sup…
Definite and Nondefinite Superlatives and NPI Licensing
We observe that superlative noun phrases are often not definite and may be headed by an indefinite determiner and other determiners. We attribute this fact to the semantics of the superlative morpheme which creates a (not necessarily singleton) set of individuals. A welcome prediction made by this proposal is that negative polarity items (NPIs) are licensed in the postnominal position only when the determiner that precedes the superlative morphem…
Tense and Identity in Copular Constructions
Embedded Tense and Universal Grammar
Languages that allows a vacuous past tense morpheme in complement clauses of attitude verbs are referred to as SOT (sequence-of-tense) languages, and languages that do not are referred to as non-SOT languages. This squib observes that quite generally, if in a given language the present tense morpheme obligatorily refers to the utterance time in present-under-past sentences, that language allows a vacuous past. The author shows that in order to ac…
Emedded Questions and 'De Dicto' Readings
Resumptive Pronouns in Relative Clauses
Connectivity in Specificational Sentences
Connectivity in Specificational Sentences
Emedded Questions and 'De Dicto' Readings
In defense of the grammatical approach to local implicatures
Definite and Nondefinite Superlatives and NPI Licensing
We observe that superlative noun phrases are often not definite and may be headed by an indefinite determiner and other determiners. We attribute this fact to the semantics of the superlative morpheme which creates a (not necessarily singleton) set of individuals. A welcome prediction made by this proposal is that negative polarity items (NPIs) are licensed in the postnominal position only when the determiner that precedes the superlative morphem…
Resumptive Pronouns in Relative Clauses
Embedded Tense and Universal Grammar
Languages that allows a vacuous past tense morpheme in complement clauses of attitude verbs are referred to as SOT (sequence-of-tense) languages, and languages that do not are referred to as non-SOT languages. This squib observes that quite generally, if in a given language the present tense morpheme obligatorily refers to the utterance time in present-under-past sentences, that language allows a vacuous past. The author shows that in order to ac…
Negative Polarity Items in Definite Superlatives
Ordinary superlative descriptions are well-known to provide safe harbor to negative polarity items (NPIs), as in the longest book anyone read. What is less well-known is that relative superlative descriptions also sometimes host NPIs, as in the loudest that anyone sang. We observe that this latter pattern is more general than has been previously described. In fact, relative superlatives can license NPIs outside of their own descriptions. On the o…
On the presuppositional strength of interrogative clauses
Resumptive Pronouns in Relative Clauses
Connectivity in Specificational Sentences
Emedded Questions and 'De Dicto' Readings
Tense and Identity in Copular Constructions
Embedded Tense and Universal Grammar
Languages that allows a vacuous past tense morpheme in complement clauses of attitude verbs are referred to as SOT (sequence-of-tense) languages, and languages that do not are referred to as non-SOT languages. This squib observes that quite generally, if in a given language the present tense morpheme obligatorily refers to the utterance time in present-under-past sentences, that language allows a vacuous past. The author shows that in order to ac…
Definite and Nondefinite Superlatives and NPI Licensing
We observe that superlative noun phrases are often not definite and may be headed by an indefinite determiner and other determiners. We attribute this fact to the semantics of the superlative morpheme which creates a (not necessarily singleton) set of individuals. A welcome prediction made by this proposal is that negative polarity items (NPIs) are licensed in the postnominal position only when the determiner that precedes the superlative morphem…
Infinitival Superlatives: English vs. Modern Hebrew
This paper investigates some semantic and syntactic properties of infinitival relative clauses in superlative expressions (“infinitival superlatives”). In the course of this investigation, more general theoretical issues pertaining to the syntax and semantics of relative clauses in general are addressed, as well as the semantics of superlatives and of tense. The semantics of infinitival superlatives is accounted for by the assumption that the sup…
Covaluation and Unexpected BT Effects
It is argued that binding theory (BT) must recognize two types of covaluation: the familiar type, which holds between two NPs when they have the same semantic value, and a new type, which holds between two NPs when one of them denotes an attitude holder and the other the 'self' of the attitude holder. This is shown to account for the acceptability of 'de re' reflexive pronouns and unacceptability of some 'de re' non-reflexive pronouns. Alternativ…
In defense of the grammatical approach to local implicatures
On the Universal Principles of Tense Embedding: The Lesson from Before
Journal Article On the Universal Principles of Tense Embedding: The Lesson from Before Get access Yael Sharvit Yael Sharvit University of California, Los Angeles Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Journal of Semantics, Volume 31, Issue 2, May 2014, Pages 263–313, https://doi.org/10.1093/jos/ffs024 Published: 12 March 2013 Article history Received: 01 February 2012 Revision received: 03 December 2012 Accepted:…
Bound 'de re' pronouns and the LFs of attitude reports
An empirical argument is given in support of Percus & Sauerland's (2003) theory of 'de re' ascription, according to which the internal argument of "believe" is a function from concept-generators to propositions. The argument concerns pronouns in the scope of attitude verbs that are interpreted both 'de re' and as bound variables. It is argued that more traditional theories of 'de re' ascription --- specifically, theories that take the 'res' to be…
A note on (Strawson) entailment
It is argued that the notion of classical entailment faces two problems, the second argument projection problem and the P-to-Q problem, which arise because classical entailment is not designed to handle partial functions. It is shown that while the second argument projection problem can be solved either by flattening the syntactic tree or with naïve multi-valued logics, the P-to-Q problem cannot. Both problems are solved by introducing a new noti…
Bound Tense in Relative Clauses: Evidence from VP-Ellipsis
We discuss lessons from VP-ellipsis about tense embedding (TE). We begin by portraying two possible views of relative clause TE (RC-TE): one that derives simultaneous readings only by coreference, and another that derives them by binding (section 2). We show data from VP-ellipsis, inspired by Stowell 2014, that support the binding view (section 3), and later review an argument that has been made against it (section 4). The argument is based on th…
On the presuppositional strength of interrogative clauses
Belief or consequences
We argue for a new inference-based analysis of belief attribution in which the embedded proposition is inferable from, but need not directly identify, an underlying belief of the subject’s. The analysis accounts for attributions of belief in necessary truths and falsities, overcoming a major difficulty facing Hintikka (1962), and goes beyond Cresswell & von Stechow (1982) in accounting for intuitively valid inferable belief attributions. The anal…
Negative Polarity Items in Definite Superlatives
Ordinary superlative descriptions are well-known to provide safe harbor to negative polarity items (NPIs), as in the longest book anyone read. What is less well-known is that relative superlative descriptions also sometimes host NPIs, as in the loudest that anyone sang. We observe that this latter pattern is more general than has been previously described. In fact, relative superlatives can license NPIs outside of their own descriptions. On the o…
Copular asymmetries in belief reports
On the unification of which -interrogatives and alternative-interrogatives
Some similarities between alternative-interrogatives and which -interrogatives seem to support a unifying analysis. The paper discusses two such analyses, and the challenges they face, and some advantages and shortcomings of a non-unifying approach
Rooth-Partee conditionals and the symmetry of disjunction
It is argued that or is inherently symmetric, based on the intuitive equivalence of If x is P or Q, then y is and If x is Q or P, then y is – referred to as Rooth-Partee conditionals. As observed in Rooth and Partee [1982. Conjunction, type ambiguity and wide scope or. In Daniel P. Flickinger, Marlys Macken & Nancy Wiegand (eds.), Proceedings of WCCFL , vol. 1], the elided phrase in the consequent clause of these conditionals brings about a readi…
Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation (17 works) · Linguistics (16 works) · Philosophy (16 works) · Computer Science (14 works) · Epistemology (10 works) · Natural Language Processing Techniques (7 works) · Philosophy of language (7 works) · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies (6 works) · Mathematics (6 works) · Metaphysics (6 works)