Reference to Abstract Objects in Discourse

__Reference to Abstract Objects in Discourse__ presents a novel framework and analysis of the ways we refer to abstract objects in natural language discourse. The book begins with a typology of abstract objects and related entities like eventualities. After an introduction to `bottom up, compositional' discourse representation theory (DRT) and to previous work on abstract objects in DRT (notably work on the semantics of the attitudes), the book turns to a semantic analysis of eventuality and abstract object denoting nominals in English. The book then substantially revises and extends the dynamic semantic framework of DRT to develop an analysis of anaphoric reference to abstract objects and eventualities that exploits discourse structure and the discourse relations that obtain between elements of the structure. A dynamic, semantically based theory of discourse structure (SDRT) is proposed, along with many illustrative examples. Two further chapters then provide the analysis of anaphoric reference to propositions VP ellipsis. The abstract entity anaphoric antecedents are elements of the discourse structures that SDRT develops. The final chapter discusses some logical and philosophical difficulties for a semantic analysis of reference to abstract objects. For semanticists, philosophers of language, computer scientists interested in natural language applications and discourse, philosophical logicians, graduate students in linguistics, philosophy, cognitive science and artificial intelligence. Front Matter....Pages i-ix Introduction....Pages 1-14 From Events to Propositions: A Tour of Abstract Entities, Eventualities and the Nominals that Denote Them....Pages 15-62 A Crash Course in DRT....Pages 63-110 Attitudes and Attitude Descriptions....Pages 111-137 The Semantic Representation for Sentential Nominals....Pages 138-189 Problems for the Semantics of Nominals....Pages 190-224 Anaphora and Abstract Entities....Pages 225-255 A Theory of Discourse Structure for an Analysis of Abstract Entity Anaphora....Pages 256-311 Applying the Theory of Discourse Structure to the Anaphoric Phenomena....Pages 312-353 Applications of the Theory of Discourse Structure to Concept Anaphora and VP Ellipsis....Pages 354-386 Model Theory for Abstract Entities and its Philosophical Implications....Pages 387-433 Conclusion....Pages 434-435 Back Matter....Pages 436-458