Paul Elbourne
Biographic Data
| ID | 1498231 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Paul Elbourne |
| GIVEN NAMES | Paul |
| FAMILY NAME | Elbourne |
| SIGNATURE | ELBOURNE P |
| AFFILIATIONS | Queen Mary University of London |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1358-348X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 116 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 17 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2001 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Adjectives without syntactic categories
Elbourne has proposed that future research should investigate the possibility of eliminating syntactic categories from linguistic theory and letting their functions be taken over by independently motivated semantic categories such as semantic types (‘A program for eliminating syntactic categories’, 2024, Linguistic Inquiry ). The current article applies this research programme to the case of adjectives. It argues that adjectives should be conceiv…
A Program for Eliminating Syntactic Categories
Future research could profitably explore the hypothesis that syntactic categories should be eliminated from linguistic theory and their work taken over largely by the independently motivated system of semantic types. This would be a notable gain in theoretical economy, provided that their elimination does not necessitate innovations of equivalent complexity elsewhere in the theory
Weather predicates, binding, and radical contextualism
The implicit content indicating location associated with “raining” and other weather predicates is a definite description meaning “the location occupied by x ,” where the individual variable “ x ” can be referential or bound. This position has deleterious consequences for certain varieties of radical contextualism
Presupposition, assertion, and definite descriptions
In recent work on the semantics of definite descriptions, some theorists (Elbourne in Definite descriptions, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2013; Schoubye in Noûs 47(3):496–533, 2013) have advocated broadly Fregean accounts, whereby a definite description ‘the F ’ introduces a presupposition to the effect that there is exactly one F and refers to it if there is, while other theorists (Abbott, in: Gundel, Hedberg (eds) Reference: Interdisciplina…
Evidence for generalized quantifier semantics in the interpretation of the English neuter singular pronoun
The English pronounitcan anaphorically take on the meaning of a salient generalized quantifier when it occurs in subject position followed by an elided Verb Phrase and (optionally) a VP-level operator. The extent to which theories of pronoun interpretation will have to be altered to take account of this finding will depend on whether the phenomenon is unique to English or part of a crosslinguistic pattern
Vagueness, contextualism, and ellipsis
Stanley (2003) has argued that contextualist theories of vagueness are inconsistent with a certain fact about the interpretation of indexicals in Verb Phrase ellipsis, namely that the semantic content of an indexical in an elided verb phrase must be the same as the semantic content of the corresponding indexical in the antecedent verb phrase. In this paper, some counterexamples are adduced to undermine confidence in this generalization and hence …
Incomplete descriptions and indistinguishable participants
Definite Descriptions
Paul Elbourne defends the Fregean view that definite descriptions ('the table', 'the King of France') refer to individuals, and offers a new and radical account of the semantics of pronouns. He draws on a wide range of work, from Frege, Peano, and Russell to the latest findings in linguistics philosophy of language, and psycholinguistics.
On bishop sentences
Bishop Sentences and Donkey Cataphora: A Response to Barker and Shan
in Barker & Shan 2008
Demonstratives as individual concepts
Using a version of situation semantics, this article argues that bare and complex demonstratives are interpreted as individual concepts.
The Argument From Binding
Ellipsis Sites as Definite Descriptions
This article analyzes three phenomena that are troublesome for some theories of ellipsis: the existence of sloppy readings when the relevant pronouns cannot possibly be bound; cases where the antecedent of ellipsis does itself contain an ellipsis site, but in resolving the larger ellipsis the interpretation understood at the ellipsis site in the antecedent is not used; and cases where an ellipsis site draws upon material from two or more separate…
The Interpretation of Pronouns
There is no overall consensus on the interpretation of pronouns, but recent research generally argues for one of three positions: that pronouns are individual variables, that they are covert definite descriptions, or that they are identity functions
On the Acquisition of Principle B
Chien and Wexler (1990) reported that children obeyed Principle B of binding theory when the antecedent was a quantifier but not when the antecedent was referential. This was argued by Grodzinsky and Reinhart (1993) to support Reinhart's (1983) theory according to which Principle B affects only bound pronouns. Since then, other studies have supported the asymmetry between referential and quantifier antecedents. This article, however, argues that …
Total Reconstruction, PF Movement, and Derivational Order
Theories of total reconstruction have generally supposed that movement can be followed by an undoing operation like LF lowering (May 1977, 1985) or deletion of higher copies (Chomsky 1993). We argue that reconstruction effects can be derived only if the original movement is purely phonological. There are no undoing operations. We present three distinct arguments, based on an interaction between raising and wh-movement in English, facts from agree…
E-Type Anaphora as NP-Deletion
Total Reconstruction, PF Movement, and Derivational Order
Theories of total reconstruction have generally supposed that movement can be followed by an undoing operation like LF lowering (May 1977, 1985) or deletion of higher copies (Chomsky 1993). We argue that reconstruction effects can be derived only if the original movement is purely phonological. There are no undoing operations. We present three distinct arguments, based on an interaction between raising and wh-movement in English, facts from agree…
E-Type Anaphora as NP-Deletion
Ellipsis Sites as Definite Descriptions
This article analyzes three phenomena that are troublesome for some theories of ellipsis: the existence of sloppy readings when the relevant pronouns cannot possibly be bound; cases where the antecedent of ellipsis does itself contain an ellipsis site, but in resolving the larger ellipsis the interpretation understood at the ellipsis site in the antecedent is not used; and cases where an ellipsis site draws upon material from two or more separate…
On the Acquisition of Principle B
Chien and Wexler (1990) reported that children obeyed Principle B of binding theory when the antecedent was a quantifier but not when the antecedent was referential. This was argued by Grodzinsky and Reinhart (1993) to support Reinhart's (1983) theory according to which Principle B affects only bound pronouns. Since then, other studies have supported the asymmetry between referential and quantifier antecedents. This article, however, argues that …
The Argument From Binding
On bishop sentences
The Interpretation of Pronouns
There is no overall consensus on the interpretation of pronouns, but recent research generally argues for one of three positions: that pronouns are individual variables, that they are covert definite descriptions, or that they are identity functions
Incomplete descriptions and indistinguishable participants
E-Type Anaphora as NP-Deletion
Total Reconstruction, PF Movement, and Derivational Order
Theories of total reconstruction have generally supposed that movement can be followed by an undoing operation like LF lowering (May 1977, 1985) or deletion of higher copies (Chomsky 1993). We argue that reconstruction effects can be derived only if the original movement is purely phonological. There are no undoing operations. We present three distinct arguments, based on an interaction between raising and wh-movement in English, facts from agree…
On the Acquisition of Principle B
Chien and Wexler (1990) reported that children obeyed Principle B of binding theory when the antecedent was a quantifier but not when the antecedent was referential. This was argued by Grodzinsky and Reinhart (1993) to support Reinhart's (1983) theory according to which Principle B affects only bound pronouns. Since then, other studies have supported the asymmetry between referential and quantifier antecedents. This article, however, argues that …
Demonstratives as individual concepts
Using a version of situation semantics, this article argues that bare and complex demonstratives are interpreted as individual concepts.
The Argument From Binding
Ellipsis Sites as Definite Descriptions
This article analyzes three phenomena that are troublesome for some theories of ellipsis: the existence of sloppy readings when the relevant pronouns cannot possibly be bound; cases where the antecedent of ellipsis does itself contain an ellipsis site, but in resolving the larger ellipsis the interpretation understood at the ellipsis site in the antecedent is not used; and cases where an ellipsis site draws upon material from two or more separate…
The Interpretation of Pronouns
There is no overall consensus on the interpretation of pronouns, but recent research generally argues for one of three positions: that pronouns are individual variables, that they are covert definite descriptions, or that they are identity functions
Bishop Sentences and Donkey Cataphora: A Response to Barker and Shan
in Barker & Shan 2008
On bishop sentences
Definite Descriptions
Paul Elbourne defends the Fregean view that definite descriptions ('the table', 'the King of France') refer to individuals, and offers a new and radical account of the semantics of pronouns. He draws on a wide range of work, from Frege, Peano, and Russell to the latest findings in linguistics philosophy of language, and psycholinguistics.
Incomplete descriptions and indistinguishable participants
Vagueness, contextualism, and ellipsis
Stanley (2003) has argued that contextualist theories of vagueness are inconsistent with a certain fact about the interpretation of indexicals in Verb Phrase ellipsis, namely that the semantic content of an indexical in an elided verb phrase must be the same as the semantic content of the corresponding indexical in the antecedent verb phrase. In this paper, some counterexamples are adduced to undermine confidence in this generalization and hence …
Presupposition, assertion, and definite descriptions
In recent work on the semantics of definite descriptions, some theorists (Elbourne in Definite descriptions, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2013; Schoubye in Noûs 47(3):496–533, 2013) have advocated broadly Fregean accounts, whereby a definite description ‘the F ’ introduces a presupposition to the effect that there is exactly one F and refers to it if there is, while other theorists (Abbott, in: Gundel, Hedberg (eds) Reference: Interdisciplina…
Evidence for generalized quantifier semantics in the interpretation of the English neuter singular pronoun
The English pronounitcan anaphorically take on the meaning of a salient generalized quantifier when it occurs in subject position followed by an elided Verb Phrase and (optionally) a VP-level operator. The extent to which theories of pronoun interpretation will have to be altered to take account of this finding will depend on whether the phenomenon is unique to English or part of a crosslinguistic pattern
Weather predicates, binding, and radical contextualism
The implicit content indicating location associated with “raining” and other weather predicates is a definite description meaning “the location occupied by x ,” where the individual variable “ x ” can be referential or bound. This position has deleterious consequences for certain varieties of radical contextualism
A Program for Eliminating Syntactic Categories
Future research could profitably explore the hypothesis that syntactic categories should be eliminated from linguistic theory and their work taken over largely by the independently motivated system of semantic types. This would be a notable gain in theoretical economy, provided that their elimination does not necessitate innovations of equivalent complexity elsewhere in the theory
Adjectives without syntactic categories
Elbourne has proposed that future research should investigate the possibility of eliminating syntactic categories from linguistic theory and letting their functions be taken over by independently motivated semantic categories such as semantic types (‘A program for eliminating syntactic categories’, 2024, Linguistic Inquiry ). The current article applies this research programme to the case of adjectives. It argues that adjectives should be conceiv…
Linguistics (15 works) · Philosophy (15 works) · Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation (15 works) · Computer Science (11 works) · Psychology (8 works) · Epistemology (6 works) · Natural Language Processing Techniques (6 works) · Syntax (6 works) · History (5 works) · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition (5 works)