Penka Stateva

In the proposed study, I will lay out a new theory about the way we perceive, understand and use vague quantificational expressions like some, many or most in everyday communication. The study explores formal semantic, pragmatic and psychometric properties of quantifiers, emphasizing their cross-linguistic dimension. The primary goal of this project is a) to integrate the numerical component in the linguistic definition of a (vague) quantifier in a descriptively and explanatory adequate manner; b) to lay out the basics of an integrative account that effectively accommodates their semantic, pragmatic and psychometric aspects.

To achieve this goal I address the following (non-exhaustive list of) questions: What are the numerical ranges assigned to different degree-based quantifiers? Are numerical ranges encoded in meanings or are they epiphenomenal? Are cross-linguistically related quantifiers processed identically? Can we maintain a universal theory of quantifiers of the kind that has been mainstream so far?  Which pragmatic processes are relevant for the interpretation of quantifiers? How are quantifiers with overlapping lexical meanings be distinguished? 

In pursuing these questions, I will systematize the results of my previous research on this topic and conduct additional empirical studies to complete a coherent picture of natural language quantification incorporating formal semantic, formal pragmatic as well as psychometric aspects. The research brings together formal semantics, formal and experimental pragmatics and cognitive psychology, to yield a converging account of one of the most important domains of human language.