Dynamic Semantics (PLIN0056)

ABOUT

This year’s incarnation of the semantics research seminar will focus on dynamic semantics. We’ll both introduce some of the main ideas and linguistic motivations behind the ‘dynamic turn’ and discuss new work.

INSTRUCTORS

Gennaro Chierchia, Linguistics, Harvard
Nathan Klinedinst, Linguistics
Matthew Mandelkern, All Souls College, Oxford
Daniel Rothschild, Philosophy
Yasu Sudo, Linguistics

MECHANICS

The seminar meets Fridays 3-5pm, in Bedford Way 448. The first meeting is 4 October; there is no meeting on 8 Nov; the last meeting is 13 Dec.

Enrolled students must submit a term paper on a topic covered for credit.

A set of useful notes on many aspects of dynamic systems from a class taught by Matt and Daniel at ESSLLI is available here.

All are welcome!

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

SESSION 1: 4 OCT
Introduction (GC, DR)

Gennaro’s Handout

Introductory readings are notes by Daniel:
Dynamic notion of context
Context change potentials
Simple dynamic semantics

SESSION 2: 11 OCT
Basic Dynamic Semantics For Anaphora and Presupposition (DR)

SESSION 3: 18 OCT
Plural Discourse Referents (YS)

Handout

SESSION 4: 25 OCT
Definiteness projection (MM/DR)
See forthcoming paper here

SESSION 5: 1 NOV
Dynamic Semantics and Weak Crossover (GC)

Handout

Paper

SESSION 6: 15 NOV
Static Anaphora (MM)

SESSION 7: 22 NOV
Pronoun/Modal Interaction (NK/DR)

Epistemic Modal Handout

SESSION 8: 29 NOV
NO CLASS INDUSTRIAL ACTION

SESSION 9: 6 DEC
Foundational questions revisited (DR) Double negation and Partee Sentences (Matthew Gotham)
Three notions of dynamicness

SESSION 10: 15 DEC
Redundancy (Guest speakers: Jacopo Romoli and Paul Marty)
Materials here and here